Miguel Armando Castellanos Serrano, former Secretary of Government and a pre-candidate for the Mayor’s office in Cúcuta, a Colombian city bordering Venezuela, was murdered this Monday, October 26.
According to El Colombiano, initial investigations revealed that Castellanos was traveling in an armored vehicle with his 12-year-old son when a cyclist struck the car.
When the politician stepped out to inspect the damage and speak to the rider, he was shot in the head. The minor was rescued unharmed following the attack.
New details revealed that Castellanos was traveling without bodyguards, even though the politician had received threats in the past as he was occupying the role of government secretary. However, no threats had been reported recently.
According to El Tiempo, the investigations are focusing on the possibility that the shooter fled across the border into Venezuela shortly after attacking the pre-candidate on Cúcuta’s Anillo Vial Occidental road.
“Miguel had publicly expressed his intention to run for mayor of Cúcuta on multiple occasions, and many sectors in the city had shown him their support. That is why his murder is not just another crime,” stated on X the journalist Jhon Jairo Jácome, a friend of Castellanos. “They killed someone who had a real chance of becoming the mayor.”
“I will say this as clearly as possible: in Cúcuta, there is a drug-trafficking and criminal structure with political representation that is deciding who lives and who dies,” Jácome added.
In an interview with Blu Radio, George Quintero, the security secretary for Norte de Santander (Cúcuta’s department), stated that the victim was returning home after attending an emergency involving his brother, former Senator Jairo Castellanos, who was in the hospital.
Miguel Castellanos, who served for more than 21 years in the National Police and held different roles as commander in different departments across the country, is also the brother of Bogotá Councilman Andrés Leandro Castellanos.
He also held a degree in Police Administration and a master’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Project Management, and worked for the Tax and Customs Police (Polfa) in Cartagena and Medellín.
Regarding this background, authorities are also reviewing past unconfirmed allegations from 2025 that linked Castellanos to a contraband network led by Diego Marín Buitrago, known as ‘Papá Pitufo.’
Miguel was linked and signaled of bribery during his time at Polfa, but the judicial system never corroborated the claims.
According to secretary Quintero, Miguel Castellanos was traveling without his assigned Unidad Nacional de Protección (UNP) security team because he took a flight on his own to handle the family emergency, while his bodyguards were traveling by land to reach him.
The UNP has been highly criticized for security failures in a previous attack against presidential pre-candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay, who died in 2025 after being shot by a hitman.
Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella condemned the killing of Castellanos, calling it a “cowardly murder” and promising justice.
“There will be no room for impunity in Colombia,” de la Espriella said. “We will pursue those responsible with the full force of the state.”
In a statement, the Colombian National Police is offering a reward of up to 100 million pesos (around US$25,000) for information leading to the attackers.
Additionally, local authorities in Cúcuta and Norte de Santander are also promising an additional 50 million pesos (around US$12,000).
This incident also fuels fears about Cúcuta’s deteriorating security situation.
The following day, an explosive device was detonated at the Francisco de Paula Santander International Bridge on the Venezuelan border, damaging vehicles nearby and leaving several citizens injured.
According to Caracol Radio, the terrorist attack was linked to the National Liberation Army.
Key questions about Castellanos’ murder remain unanswered: there is no identified motive or named suspects, and no arrests have been made so far.
