Officials of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) arrested Jessica Romero Valverde in Alajuela on Thursday afternoon. She is the wife of Edgar Marcia Cruz, the leader of la banda de Tío (Uncle’s gang), who was also captured along Ramón Blanco Bejarano.
According to Walter Espinoza, director of the OIJ, Romero’s functions were related to financial and command issues within the organization for the operation of the gang.
The OIJ had committed itself to the population to dismantle that gang and imprison those who ran it. And on the basis of the effort that has been made these days, by the comrades of organized crime of Orotina and Garabito, we could apprehend these subjects who were dangerous, violent and now they are already in jail (…),”
explained Espinoza.
The hierarch said that there are 24 people arrested for being members of the organization and that have been passed to the Public Ministry. The gang is linked to some homicides, which are under investigation, so they couldn’t give further details.