A Colombian citizen has confessed to drugging, kidnapping, and assaulting two American soldiers in the Colombian capital, according to federal authorities.
Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, also known as “Tata,” entered a guilty plea to kidnapping internationally protected persons. The 47-year-old from Bogotá operated with a group that targeted the two servicemen, who were stationed in the city temporarily on official duty. Court filings identified the victims only as “L.G.” and “E.L., both active-duty members afforded special legal protections.
The attack unfolded on March 5, 2020, when the soldiers visited a pub in a popular entertainment district to watch a football match. Silva Ochoa and his accomplices—identified as Arango Castellanos, nicknamed “Harry Potter,” and Kenny Julieth Uribe Chiran—spotted them there.
During the encounter, one of the assailants slipped benzodiazepine into the victims’ drinks. This substance depresses central nervous system activity and is frequently used in instances of drug-facilitated assault. After the soldiers were incapacitated, the group forcibly escorted them to a waiting vehicle that Silva Ochoa was driving. The captors then stole wallets, credit cards, and mobile phones from the men, using the cards to make several purchases and cash withdrawals. The soldiers remained unconscious until the following day, by which time they had been separated.
Silva Ochoa was extradited from Chile to the United States in May 2024. He is the second defendant in this case to admit guilt. Earlier this year, in May, “Harry Potter” received a 48-year and nine-month prison sentence after being extradited and pleading guilty in 2023. Uribe Chiran was extradited from Colombia in September, with his trial slated for February 2025.
Under the terms of the plea deal, Silva Ochoa faces a potential maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A sentencing date has yet to be set.