Two Colombians Sentenced to 35 and 30 Years for Plot to Murder U.S. Soldiers

Andres Fernando Medina Rodriguez and Ciro Alfonso Gutierrez Ballesteros conspired to detonate a car bomb at a military base in Colombia, injuring three U.S. soldiers and 44 Colombian personnel.

• Medina Rodriguez, a former Colombian military officer, used his status to gain access to the base for surveillance.
• The car bomb attack was planned with the involvement of the 33rd Front, an extremist faction of FARC.
• The bomb-laden SUV was driven to the 30th Army Brigade Base in Cucuta, Colombia, on June 15, 2021.
• Medina Rodriguez activated the bomb's timer before fleeing on a motorcycle driven by Gutierrez Ballesteros.
• The FBI, along with Colombian authorities, led the investigation, resulting in the extradition and sentencing of the conspirators.

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