The Colombian Immigration authorities detained Venezuelan Air Force Colonel Eddison Ranses Torrealba Rincón in the city of Cúcuta, department of Norte de Santander. after verifying that he entered and remained in Colombian territory carrying a forged identity card to evade a red notice issued by Interpol.
According to information released by Caracol Radio, the military official was discovered when he was managing procedures related to a false document. The reviews of the immigration personnel allowed corroborate their real affiliation and detect international alerts issued by the Venezuelan judicial authorities.
Torrealba Rincón faces judicial requirements in Venezuela under accusations linked to money laundering and intentional delay or omission of public functions, file that motivated the issuance of the international notification to the police forces.
The administrative history of the Venezuelan military officer includes his appointment in February 2017 as the head of the state-run Hidrocapital, an organization assigned to supply water in the metropolitan area of Caracas.
Subsequently, the publication of the Official Gazette dated April 5, 2024 confirmed his appointment as general director of Infrastructure within the Ministry of Transportation, a function that he also performed under the condition of manager.
Military career and operational context on the border
The official records history in the Venezuelan military structure since July 2004, when it appeared in the institutional resolutions for promotions within the aviation branch.
The interception of the colonel occurred within the framework of the inspection operations carried out at the border crossing between Cúcuta and Venezuelan territory, an area with a high daily flow of people where the security forces maintain surveillance against criminal groups and requested citizens.
Interpol’s regulatory framework establishes that the red notice functions as a request to locate and preventively apprehend an individual pending legal procedures, corresponding to the final definition regarding their custody or extradition to the internal legislation of the Colombian State.
