Three arrested in Colombia over alleged bribe to free Baco
A judge, a court employee and a lawyer have been arrested in a corruption investigation involving Jozef Marcus Hendrika van der Voort, known as Baco. The Netherlands seeks his extradition in a drugs case.
Crimesite and Colombia’s Agencia Periodismo Investigativo report the arrests of judge Miryam Alcira Martínez López, court employee Waldo Garavito Mejía and lawyer Emperatriz Herrera Cuenca in Bogotá and Cota on 27 October. Colombian prosecutors allege an agreement involving 1.2 billion pesos to obtain Van der Voort’s release through a challenge to his detention.
According to Agencia PI’s account of the charges, an initial 600 million pesos was allegedly paid. The three defendants did not admit the charges at hearings on 28 October. Prosecutors accuse them of bribery and falsifying a public document; the judge also faces an allegation of issuing an unlawful decision.
Van der Voort, also known as Marcus, was arrested in Colombia in February 2026 at the Netherlands’ request in an international cocaine investigation. The judge ordered his release on 13 June. Another court later reversed that decision, leaving him detained during extradition proceedings, according to the reports.









































