Medellín Mayor Hands the FBI Corruption Evidence as the Nicolás Petro Case Gets a New Prosecutor
COLOMBIA · POLITICS
Key Facts
—What happened: Medellín mayor Federico Gutiérrez flew to the United States to hand US agencies a dossier on alleged corruption under his predecessor.
—The allegation: City funds under Daniel Quintero were allegedly moved through Panama and the United States to appear legal.
—The names: The dossier covers Quintero, his brother Miguel and four allies; Miguel was indicted in Medellín on the same day.
—The catch: The evidence is the mayor’s own investigation, and no US authority has confirmed opening a case.
—The politics: Gutiérrez answered President De La Espriella’s anti-corruption call and says the Quintero case dovetails with the Petro case.
—Also on Monday: Prosecutor Juan Martín Parada took over the case against Nicolás Petro, the former president’s son.
Medellín’s mayor Federico Gutiérrez has taken a Medellín corruption dossier to the FBI and US homeland security detectives, alleging that public money was laundered abroad under his predecessor, as a new prosecutor took over the case against Nicolás Petro.
What Gutiérrez took to the FBI
The mayor travelled to the United States on Tuesday 25 August carrying what the news magazine Semana described as a package of evidence. He delivered it to detectives of Homeland Security Investigations, known as HSI, and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI.
The hypothesis in the files is that Medellín’s public resources were moved to Panama and the United States during the Quintero administration. The aim, witnesses told judicial authorities, was to give the money an appearance of legality.
The dossier names six people: former mayor Daniel Quintero, his brother Miguel Quintero, Sebastián Ortega, William Ortega, Johny Jaramillo and Edison López, known as “Chano”. A well-known international precious-metals trader also appears in the city’s files, Semana reported.
Which investigations the mayor means
The Medellín corruption push is not abstract. On the day Gutiérrez flew out, prosecutors in Medellín indicted Miguel Quintero over irregularities at the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley, the regional planning authority.
Witness testimony says the former mayor’s brother led contracting processes and collected bribes without holding public office. A judge is due to issue the first conviction in that case.
Gutiérrez has also said he will cooperate with President Abelardo De La Espriella’s new anti-corruption bloc. In his telling, the Medellín corruption case would connect with the cases around the Petro family.
The hope in Medellín is that the Trump administration will collaborate in clarifying what happened to the city’s money. Whether US agencies open a formal case is their decision, not the mayor’s.
A new prosecutor for the Nicolás Petro case
The second piece of Monday’s judicial news came from Barranquilla. Prosecutor Juan Martín Parada has taken over the case against Nicolás Petro Burgos, the eldest son of former president Gustavo Petro.
The case dates to July 2023, when the younger Petro was arrested on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment. Prosecutors say he bought around US$400,000 in real estate with money that did not match his declared income as a regional legislator.
Part of that money allegedly came from figures with drug-trafficking pasts and was meant for his father’s 2022 campaign. A cooperation agreement with prosecutors later collapsed over missed deadlines, a saga we covered when the new allegations surfaced and when prosecutors denied political pressure.
Why these two stories belong together
De La Espriella won the presidency on an anti-corruption platform, and his first month has put that theme everywhere. The Medellín corruption dossier and the Petro prosecution are its two most visible tests.
Both cases carry the same risk. If they advance on evidence, they strengthen the judiciary; if they stall or look selective, they feed the old Colombian suspicion that corruption cases are campaign tools.
For foreign residents and investors in Medellín, the practical question is narrower. A credible clean-up of city contracting would be good news for anyone doing business with the district.
What to watch from here
The first marker is any confirmation from HSI or the FBI that the Medellín corruption material has become a formal investigation. The second is the first Metropolitan Area conviction, expected shortly.
In Barranquilla, watch how Parada handles the Petro file. A new prosecutor can speed a case up, slow it down, or reopen the question of a cooperation deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What evidence did Medellín’s mayor give to the FBI?
Federico Gutiérrez delivered a dossier alleging that public funds under former mayor Daniel Quintero were moved through Panama and the United States to appear legal. The files name Quintero, his brother Miguel and four allies.
Has the FBI opened a Medellín corruption investigation?
No US authority has confirmed a formal case. The dossier is the Medellín mayor’s own investigation, and Gutiérrez says he hopes the Trump administration will collaborate.
Who is the new prosecutor in the Nicolás Petro case?
Juan Martín Parada has taken over the money-laundering and illicit-enrichment case against the former president’s son, which dates from July 2023.
What is Nicolás Petro accused of?
Prosecutors say he bought around US$400,000 in real estate with unexplained money, part of it allegedly from figures with drug-trafficking pasts and intended for his father’s 2022 campaign. He has denied the charges.
Connected Coverage
The Petro file’s recent turns are in the Camargo allegations in the Nicolás Petro case and prosecutors denying pressure in the Nicolás Petro case. The presidential backdrop is in De La Espriella’s first appointments and purge.
Sources: Semana (25 and 30 August 2026); El País of Cali (31 August 2026); The Rio Times prior coverage linked above.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
In depth
Read More from The Rio Times