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The Colombian government has ordered the immediate blocking of mobile phone signals in several prisons following allegations that inmates were conducting extortion schemes targeting El Salvador and other countries in the region. The measure affects prisons in Cómbita, Valledupar, and La Dorada.
Colombia’s Minister of Justice and Law, Andrés Idárraga, said the decision was made after El Salvador publicly denounced a new wave of phone-based extortion originating from Colombian prisons. “We cannot allow extortion to become normalized in Colombia, much less spread to Central America,” Idárraga stated.
President Nayib Bukele welcomed the response, reiterating that El Salvador is not facing kidnappings or cartel activity. “What has occurred are phone scams from a prison in Colombia. There is no real danger. The solution is simple: do not pay,” Bukele said, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation.
Salvadoran authorities revealed that, at the time of the investigation, at least 101 mobile phones were actively operating inside the prison of Cómbita. The devices were allegedly used as part of improvised “call centers” to target victims not only in El Salvador but also in Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, and Peru.
Colombian officials described the situation as unacceptable and pledged swift action. “There is no truce. We do not have time for excuses or technical failures. The signal must be blocked in Cómbita, period,” Idárraga said, adding that stronger controls would be enforced to prevent further cross-border extortion.
elsalvadornews
