A Colombian national, Kenny Julieth Uribe Chiran, 35, was sentenced Friday in the Southern District of Florida to 262 months in prison for her role in the kidnapping and assault of two U.S. military members who were on temporary duty in Bogotá, Colombia.
The sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release, and Uribe Chiran has been ordered to pay $24,115 in restitution.
Uribe Chiran’s sentencing marks the conclusion of a case that saw three defendants brought to justice for the March 2020 attack. She pleaded guilty in March 2025 to conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person.
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“Uribe Chiran and her co-defendants mercilessly preyed on U.S. soldiers when they drugged their drinks, stole their valuables, and left them incapacitated on the street,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Kidnapping and assaulting two U.S. military service members is deplorable and the Criminal Division will continue to prioritize protecting our service members through these prosecutions. I thank the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to bring justice to these victims.”
According to court documents, the two U.S. soldiers were targeted on the evening of March 5, 2020. After visiting an entertainment district in Bogotá to watch a soccer game, they went to a pub. There, Uribe Chiran and a co-defendant approached the soldiers and surreptitiously drugged their drinks with benzodiazepines, rendering them incapacitated. Medical examinations later confirmed the presence of the drugs.
The defendants then kidnapped the soldiers, stole their valuables, including credit and debit card information, and abandoned them in separate locations on the street. The stolen cards were subsequently used for purchases and cash withdrawals.
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“Members of our military, whether serving here or abroad, can count on this Department of Justice’s respect, support, and protection,” stated U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Kidnappings and assaults against U.S. service members will not be tolerated. To those who would dare commit such reprehensible acts against America’s heroes, know this: We will identify you; we will find you; and we will prosecute you as aggressively as the law permits.”
Uribe Chiran was extradited from Colombia to the United States in September 2024. Her co-conspirators had previously been extradited and sentenced. Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa was extradited from Chile in April 2024, pleaded guilty in December 2024, and was sentenced in March 2025 to 27 years and three months in prison. Jeffersson Arango Castellanos was extradited from Colombia in May 2023, pleaded guilty in January 2024, and received a sentence of 48 years and nine months in prison in May 2024.
“The FBI’s commitment to investigate criminal acts against the U.S. military beyond our borders is clearly demonstrated by our persistent pursuit of justice for the two kidnapped soldiers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office. “Our close cooperation with Colombian and Chilean law enforcement authorities was essential to this international investigation’s success. To all would be kidnappers the message is clear: target our citizens with violence anywhere in the world and we will hold you accountable for your actions.”
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