Hayden O’Byrne United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida | The Florida Bar
A Colombian national, Kenny Julieth Uribe Chiran, has been sentenced to 262 months in prison by the Southern District of Florida for her involvement in a conspiracy to kidnap and assault two U.S. Army soldiers in Bogotá, Colombia. The sentence includes three years of supervised release and an order to pay $24,115 in restitution. Uribe Chiran is the third defendant to be sentenced in this case after pleading guilty in March 2025.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne emphasized the Department of Justice's commitment to protecting military personnel: “Members of our military, whether serving here or abroad, can count on this Department of Justice’s respect, support, and protection.” He further stated that such acts against service members would not be tolerated.
Matthew R. Galeotti from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division described the actions as "deplorable," highlighting the division's priority to protect service members through prosecutions. He commended law enforcement partners for their efforts.
Acting Special Agent Brett D. Skiles from the FBI Miami Field Office noted the importance of international cooperation with Colombian and Chilean authorities: “Our close cooperation with Colombian and Chilean law enforcement authorities was essential to this international investigation’s success.”
Court documents reveal that on March 5, 2020, Uribe Chiran and a co-defendant drugged two U.S. soldiers' drinks at a pub in Bogotá before kidnapping them and stealing their valuables. Medical tests confirmed benzodiazepines were used on the soldiers.
Uribe Chiran was extradited from Colombia to the United States in September 2024. Her co-defendants have also been sentenced; Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa received a sentence of over 27 years after being extradited from Chile, while Jeffersson Arango Castellanos was sentenced to nearly 49 years following his extradition from Colombia.
The FBI Miami Field Office led the investigation with significant assistance from various divisions within the Justice Department and Colombian law enforcement authorities.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez along with Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen are prosecuting this case.
For more information about related court documents or updates on this case, visit www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls or www.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20173.
