Despite the suspension being lifted, Wilmar Mejía has resigned from the intelligence agency and is set to lead the Financial Information and Analysis Unit (UIAF)

Colombia’s Inspector General’s Office (Procuraduría General de la Nación) has decided not to extend the three-month provisional suspension imposed on former Chief of the National Intelligence Agency (DNI), Wilmar Mejía, and Army General Juan Miguel Huertas, as part of a disciplinary investigation into alleged links with dissident factions of the former FARC guerrilla group.

Both officials had been temporarily removed from their positions after being mentioned in chats and documents found on devices belonging to alias “Calarcá,” one of the leaders of these illegal armed groups.

According to a document released by the Inspector General’s Office and published by the digital media La Silla Vacía, the “alleged conduct under investigation corresponds to events that occurred in 2024, when those involved were not yet public officials.” In that regard, the oversight body said it “will continue gathering evidence to determine whether such conduct extended into the period in which they held public office.”

“It is therefore necessary to continue the evidentiary process to establish whether the questioned conduct, in addition to being corroborated, extended into periods when those under investigation held public office,” the Inspector said in a statement.

Under Colombia’s legal framework, the Inspector General’s Office investigates public officials and individuals who manage public resources. If it is established that the alleged acts occurred prior to their appointment, the case would fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación), which handles criminal investigations involving private citizens.

Ongoing investigation and background

The initial suspension was ordered on November 27, 2025, by the Inspector General’s Disciplinary Investigation Chamber and confirmed on December 23 of the same year, for a period of three months.

Later, at the end of March 2026, the National Intelligence Agency requested, by public communication, that the oversight body “clarify the scope of the measure,” which led to the recent decision not to extend the suspension, while the disciplinary investigation remains ongoing.

In parallel, the Attorney General’s Office continues investigations into the so-called “Calarcá case.” Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo said there is “confirmed serious information from computers and cellphones about links between the group and a general and a DNI official,” according to statements reported by Caracol Noticias.

So far, no charges or convictions have been issued in connection with these cases.

Changes at the National Intelligence Agency

Amid the investigation, Wilmar Mejía confirmed his departure from the National Intelligence Agency on April 1, 2026, in an interview with Canal 1. “When the Inspector General’s Office lifted my suspension, I went to sign my reinstatement document and within 15 minutes I submitted my resignation. I am no longer the director of intelligence,” he said.

Following his resignation, President Gustavo Petro appointed him as director of the Financial Information and Analysis Unit (UIAF), the agency responsible for combating money laundering and terrorism financing in Colombia. The decision has drawn criticism, as Mejía remains linked to ongoing investigations by both the Inspector General’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office.

More information about the Colombia´s Intelligence Agency? Read “Colombia Intelligence Chief’s Resignation Exposes Instability and Possible Illegal Group Infiltration” by Finance Colombia.

Since the start of President Gustavo Petro’s administration, the intelligence agency has had four directors, highlighting instability within one of the institutions responsible for state security.

The resignation of Wilmar Mejía as chief of Colombia’s National Intelligence Agency has highlighted instability within the country’s main intelligence agency under the government of President Gustavo Petro, which has seen four leadership changes over the past three years.

Mejía confirmed his departure on April 1 in an interview with Canal 1. “When the Inspector General’s Office lifted my suspension, I went to sign my reinstatement document and within 15 minutes I submitted my resignation. I am no longer the director of intelligence,” he said.

The official had been suspended since December 23, 2025, by the Inspector General’s Office as part of a disciplinary investigation “for alleged links to and the provision of information to members of dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).” The Inspector Office said at the time that the measure aimed to prevent possible interference with the process.

Investigation into alleged links to guerrilla dissidents

The case is related to the seizure of digital files belonging to Alexander Díaz Mendoza, known as “Calarcá Córdoba,” a leader of one of the dissident structures grouped under the Estado Mayor de Bloques y Frente (EMBF). Authorities say the documents point to possible contacts with the former intelligence chief.

Mejía has denied any involvement and has argued that the accusations are part of alleged “setups aimed at silencing reports of internal corruption.”

According to the Inspector Office, the investigation “includes possible acts such as the disclosure of military force communication frequency codes and support in the creation of security companies that could facilitate the legalization of weapons in the event of a breakdown in peace talks with the government.”

So far, neither the Inspector General’s Office nor the Attorney General’s Office has concluded its investigations, and no determination of responsibility has been made.

The case has raised concerns about state security and the institutional stability of the agency, considered a key body for the country’s strategic intelligence.

Local media outlets such as El Colombiano have reported that the situation has affected trust among international intelligence partners, suggesting that agencies such as the CIA (United States), MI6 (United Kingdom), and Mossad (Israel) have restricted the sharing of strategic information with Colombia.

Four directors in just over three years

Since Petro took office, the agency has had four directors, all of them close to the president through their past involvement in the M-19 guerrilla group, which signed a peace agreement in 1990.

The instability dates back to the beginning of Petro’s administration. Since August 2022, when Manuel Alberto Casanova Guzmán was appointed, the agency has undergone repeated leadership changes.

Casanova, who faced criticism over his lack of intelligence experience and background as a philosopher, was removed following allegations of involvement in a false extortion case linked to then-Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva, as reported by Infobae.

He was succeeded by Carlos Ramón González, who later left the post amid investigations into his alleged role in the corruption scandal involving Unidad Nacional de Gestión de Riesgo y Desastres (UNGRD). He is currently in Nicaragua under political asylum, while Colombia has requested his extradition and Interpol has issued a red notice.

Finally, just before Mejía, the agency was led by Jorge Lemus, who served for nearly a year before resigning. He was subsequently appointed by Petro as director of the Unidad de Información y Análisis Financiero (UIAF), amid growing allegations of possible infiltration within the country’s security institutions.