The capture of Jhersson Contreras, known as Bam Bam, at El Dorado airport in Bogotá while attempting to flee to Peru with a fake passport is crucial for clarifying the murder of entrepreneur Gustavo Aponte, which occurred on February 11, 2026, and other homicides related to the same criminal network.
Judicial authorities believe that his arrest weakens the criminal organization “Los Gladiadores” and could lead to new arrest warrants for family members and collaborators who were aware of the plan’s details. The investigation extends beyond Aponte’s case, as Bam Bam’s phone was located near Santa María, Boyacá, just a day after the murder, right in the area where one of the band’s hitmen was shot dead.
This finding is significant because, after the attack, the network’s leaders concluded that Aponte and his bodyguard had been victims of a mistake and that the real target was still alive. Furthermore, an investigator pointed out that it has been proven that Bam Bam connected to a Wi-Fi network to give instructions to the hitmen and send them information about tracking the target.
Bam Bam is also responsible for the WhatsApp group called “Los Gladiadores,” created to coordinate the band’s movements in an attack against a businessman in the gold sector. This communication channel facilitated the organization of pre-crime follow-ups. It is also connected to a gray Spark vehicle, where a hitman left his belongings before committing the murder.
The hypothesis suggests that Jhersson Contreras may have been tasked with eliminating members of “Los Gladiadores” due to the error in the attack on Aponte, which is one of the reasons why his capture could clarify at least three additional homicides. Additionally, it has been determined that he is related to the main leader of the gang, known as “El Viejo” or “El Abuelo,” who belongs to an armed structure operating from the jungles of Colombia.
Analyzed communications reveal that “El Viejo” was suggested that a member would be taken “as punishment to the mountains,” which reinforces the theory that the murder may have been ordered by dissidents of the Farc, the National Liberation Army (ELN), or the Gulf Clan. This context coincides with the fact that the gold entrepreneur who was the real target had reported illegal activities by members of the ELN and dissidents of Farc for gold exploitation.
Apart from his capture, it has been noted that Bam Bam was set to travel with a woman, Dayana Silena Rodríguez Ricaurte, who was apparently aware of the “Los Gladiadores” plan. Due to this, authorities do not rule out new arrests of family members and people close to the gang who may have had information about the crime.
Source: www.infobae.com
