Luisa Rodriguez, 37, and her three daughters have been living in a budget hotel room in Ashford, Kent since arriving in the UK in 2023, having escaped a deadly drugs cartel
Luisa Rodriguez, 37, and her three daughters have been living in a budget hotel room in Ashford, Kent since arriving in the UK in 2023(Image: KMG / SWNS)
A Colombian family who escaped a bloodthirsty drugs cartel are now living in terror in Kent, fearing they’ll be killed if the Home Office sends them back.
Luisa Rodriguez, 37, along with her three daughters, has been holed up in a budget hotel room in Ashford since landing in the UK in 2023. They left Colombia after Luisa’s copper husband refused to work for the infamous Clan Del Golfo gang, leading to a spine-chilling spree of threats. However, their hopes for a peaceful life in Blighty have been dealt a huge blow after their plea for asylum was knocked back by the Home Office, a move slammed as “beyond comprehension”.
The rejection has left Luisa, a trained nurse, and her girls – Maria, 16, and 12-year-old twins Alejandra and Paula – devastated and scared stiff about what will happen next.
Luisa says she is terrified about what will happen next(Image: KMG / SWNS)
“I can’t go back,” Luisa insisted. “These people think nothing of killing and I have to prioritise the safety of my children.”
Back in Calarca Quindio, Luisa’s other half, Eduardo, was on the force probing the Clan Del Golfo – Colombia’s top drug-running outfit.
Officials in the US label the mob “one of the largest cocaine trafficking organisations in the world”, notorious for ordering the “ruthless execution of Colombian law enforcement, military officials, and civilians”.
The gang’s heavies had warned Eduardo – a deputy superintendent – that his family would be snatched and slaughtered if he didn’t play ball.
However, he declined, leading to murder threats, his children being pursued by men on motorbikes during the school run and shots fired at their home.
The Colombian authorities recognised the risks but failed to detain any suspects, advising the family to hire private security, which they couldn’t afford.
So, Luisa and her daughters sought sanctuary in the UK, where her father, Luis, resides.
Luisa’s family were threatened by the cartel after her husband refused to co-operate (stock)
“We had a good, happy life,” said Luisa, who was an intensive care nurse in Colombia.
“But that all changed when the threats started to come.
“It began with text messages and phone calls to my husband, but then things got a lot worse and very frightening, with gunshots fired at our house.
“I just had to get the children out of the country.”
Luisa chose the UK because her father had lived in London for 20 years and held a British passport.
The Home Office accommodated the family in a hotel in Ashford, which they share with other asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
‘It is a big shock to be refused because I know we will face danger if we return’ (stock)
The girls now attend a local school, while Luisa hopes to work for the NHS and is currently assisting a local mother undergoing cancer treatment.
However, they were hit hard on December 31 when their application to stay was denied and they were given just two weeks to leave the country.
Home Office officials argue that the family would not be at risk if they returned.
They reckon Eduardo’s no longer on the cartel’s radar, so Luisa and her daughters would no longer be seen as targets.
The Home Office has argued that Eduardo is no longer on the cartel’s radar (stock)(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The family’s been told they could safely move to Colombian hotspots like Cartagena, Cali, or Barranquilla. The official word is: “These are considered a reasonable amount of distance to put between yourself and the gang you fear, who will not see you as a target if removed from town.
“The gang’s main motive was to stop your husband from working in the area, which he has done. Based on this, relocation is deemed reasonable as it is unlikely that the gang would still be looking to pursue you if you did relocate.”
But Luisa insists the cartel’s grip is far-reaching, and the suggested safe havens are actually drug trade hubs.
She’s gobsmacked by the refusal, saying: “It is a big shock to be refused because I know we will face danger if we return,” as she struggles to hold back the tears.
“It has affected all our mental health and is causing us sleepless nights. I had hoped the Home Office would take the children’s welfare into account and protect them.”
Now, their last shot is an appeal, with Luisa – currently on immigration bail – bracing for a grilling by the government bods tomorrow.