Ex-Cali Cartel Member Offers Information on 1,000 Assets for Colombia Earthquake Recovery
Ramiro Herrera Buitrago, alias “Don R,” has offered information on more than 1,000 assets allegedly linked to the former Cali cartel, proposing that property recovered by the Colombian state help fund reconstruction after the Aug. 10, 2026, earthquake. In a letter to Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, Herrera said he had delivered an inventory […]
In a surprising turn, a former Cali Cartel member has offered details on over 1,000 assets allegedly tied to the notorious drug trafficking organization. Ramiro Herrera Buitrago, known as "Don R", has proposed that these properties be used to aid in the earthquake recovery efforts in Colombia. Herrera, who served 12 years in a U.S. prison for drug trafficking, claims his information could be crucial for tracing property and financial transactions linked to the former cartel.
The Colombian Attorney General's Office has not yet confirmed the authenticity of Herrera's inventory, which reportedly spans Colombia, the United States, Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador. The list includes rural and urban properties, commercial premises, companies, and financial investments. Herrera has provided this information to the Attorney General's Office, which has taken precautionary measures on 42 assets linked to Herrera's network, with an estimated value of around US$14.1 million.
The earthquake, which struck Colombia on August 10, 2026, has caused significant damage, with 335 deaths, 4,516 injuries, 103 people missing, 36,478 homes destroyed, and 206,931 damaged. The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management has reported that the inventory Herrera submitted includes farms, houses, apartments, commercial premises, and companies, as well as records of company ownership, investment structures, and property transfers.
Herrera's offer could potentially help identify and recover assets that could be used for the reconstruction of earthquake-hit communities. However, the Attorney General's Office maintains that the measures taken against the 42 assets identified are based on their own financial tracing methods, and not on Herrera's information. The proposed allocation of recovered assets to social programs and reconstruction is governed by Colombia's Law 1708 of 2014, which governs the process of extincion de dominio, or the legal seizure of property connected to unlawful activities.
Written by urgent.news from Colombia One's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
