Ricardo Riquelme Vega

This article is about the Chilean criminal. For the Nicaraguan footballer, see Ricardo Vega.

Ricardo Riquelme Vega, also known as El Rico, is a Chilean criminal, who has been convicted of leading an organization specializing in assassinations and money laundering.[1][2] However, Vega has not been prosecuted nor convicted of specific murders.[3]

Criminal career

His first arrest for cocaine trafficking was in Germany in 1999.[1]

He is believed to have been in close contact with Naoufal Fassih a senior member of the gang suspected of being responsible for the murder and beheading of Nabil Amzieb.[1] However, Fassih has never been charged of that crime.

Vega was arrested in a hotel in Santiago, Chile in October 2017.[1]

On 31 May 2021 he was convicted of operating an assassination ring and laundering drug money.[2] The trial was held in a fortified court known as De Bunker near Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.[2] The court heard that he was in contact with Ridouan Taghi about organising murders.[2] Judges were also told his phone had a video featuring both Daniel Kinahan and Raffaele Imperiale.[2] It was alleged that Vega, Kinahan, Imperiale and Naoufal Fassih were involved in a drugs cartel – the Super Cartel – that dominated the market in Europe.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Tallant, Nicola (6 November 2017). "Cartel's main coke man 'El Rico' busted". The Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Fetherstonhaugh, Neil (2 June 2021). "Daniel Kinahan's 'super cartel' ally El Rico is jailed for 11 years for running gangland assassination ring". Sunday World. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  3. ^ https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1067635589/rico-de-chileen-krijgt-11-jaar-cel-voor-leiden-moordorganisatie
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