Readout of U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Meeting with Colombian Minister of Justice Nestor Iván Osuna Patiño

U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland met yesterday in Washington with Colombian Minister of Justice Nestor Iván Osuna Patiño.

In the meeting, Attorney General Garland and Criminal Division Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. welcomed Minister Osuna on his first trip to the United States as a Colombian official and discussed the close bilateral relationship the Department has enjoyed for many years with the Colombian Ministry of Justice.

“We are grateful for the indispensable law enforcement relationship between the United States Department of Justice and the Colombian Ministry of Justice, and we will continue to find ways to build on our work together to disrupt and prosecute transnational crime, uphold the rule of law, and keep our communities safe,” said Attorney General Garland.

Attorney General Garland and Assistant Attorney General Polite thanked Minister Osuna for Colombia’s long-standing partnership in disrupting criminal drug trafficking, and the work Colombia has done combating transnational crime. The leaders also discussed the importance of expanding access to justice and pursuing environmental justice.

Attorney General Garland and Assistant Attorney General Polite also expressed their appreciation of the vital role the Colombian Ministry of Justice has in judicial assistance matters between the U.S. and Colombia.