Colombia Captures Top Italian Mafia Boss for Latin America in Bogotá Raid

Colombian authorities have arrested Giuseppe Palermo, alias “Peppe,” the alleged top leader of Italy’s ‘Ndrangheta mafia in Latin America, dealing a significant blow to one of the world’s most powerful criminal organizations, police officials announced on Monday.

The 47-year-old Italian national was detained in the Colina neighborhood of northern Bogotá, just meters from a police station, after an international investigation involving Colombia’s National Police, Europol, and law enforcement agencies from Italy and the United Kingdom.

Palermo is accused of leading the purchase and coordination of massive cocaine shipments from Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador for distribution to European markets. He also allegedly oversaw complex maritime and land logistics for narcotics transport and maintained direct contact with local cocaine producers and traffickers.

The arrest follows months of coordinated surveillance under “Operation Pratí,” which has already led to the prosecution of 18 suspected ‘Ndrangheta members. Fourteen individuals are now behind bars, while another seven face house arrest. Palermo had been living in Colombia since 2023 under false documentation, according to officials close to the investigation.

“The capture of alias ‘Peppe’ ratifies Colombia’s unwavering commitment to fighting transnational organized crime and strikes at the heart of the global drug trafficking system,” said National Police Director General Carlos Fernando Triana Beltrán in a statement on social media.

Palermo appeared on Interpol’s Red Notice list and was wanted by authorities in 196 countries. He is considered a key figure in the secretive “clan Platí,” one of the most influential and impenetrable factions of the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta, and reportedly had close links to criminal cells in southern Italy’s Locride region.

Authorities say Palermo’s role extended beyond drug trafficking. Intelligence reports tied him to cannabis cultivation networks in the Aspromonte mountains and financial partnerships with the Colombian Clan del Golfo, further exposing the ‘Ndrangheta’s expanding footprint in the Americas.

“His presence in Colombia allowed him to establish direct relationships with local traffickers, assess cocaine purity, and orchestrate large-scale shipments to Europe,” General Triana added.

During the operation, police intercepted a shipment of 300 kilograms of cocaine destined for Italy, a haul with an estimated street value of more than €30 million. Authorities also seized a kilo of pure cocaine at Rome’s Ciampino airport, hidden by a courier unaffiliated with Palermo’s inner circle – a sign, investigators say, of the intricate smuggling methods used by the criminal group.

Palermo’s arrest is the latest in a series of moves by European and South American authorities to dismantle high-level mafia networks operating across borders. The ‘Ndrangheta, based in the Calabria region of southern Italy, has surpassed the Sicilian Cosa Nostra in global reach and profitability, becoming one of the world’s foremost cocaine distributors with deep links to South American cartels.

Colombia remains a critical node in the transatlantic drug trade, producing over 60% of the world’s cocaine, much of which enters Europe through ports in Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

“This joint operation illustrates the power of international law enforcement cooperation and our shared responsibility in dismantling global criminal networks,” said Europol in a statement released Monday.

Authorities did not disclose whether Palermo will be extradited immediately to Italy, but officials confirmed that he is currently being held in a high-security facility in Bogotá while extradition proceedings are underway.

Italian anti-mafia prosecutors from Reggio Calabria had been tracking Palermo’s activities for several years and identified him as the chief coordinator of cocaine procurement for the clan Platí. Intelligence gathered during the operation also revealed the existence of three interconnected crime groups in Locride managing cocaine imports and cannabis cultivation.

The arrest follows mounting pressure on Colombian authorities to clamp down on the growing presence of foreign criminal networks operating in the country under the guise of legitimate businesses and false identities.

Giuseppe Palermo is expected to face charges including international drug trafficking, organized crime association, and money laundering. If convicted in Italy, he could face up to 30 years in prison.

The investigation remains ongoing, and police say additional arrests are expected as part of the wider crackdown on transnational organized crime.