The pressure of the joint military operation of Colombian National Army, the Colombian Aerospace Force and in coordination with the National Police has managed to directly hit structures at the service of alias Ivan Mordisco with 13 voluntary surrenders and the elimination of two terrorist acts with motorcycles loaded with explosives.
Within the framework of the Perseo Military Operation, Colombian National Army, through the Rapid Deployment Force n° 4 and the Comprehensive Action and Development Battalion n° 3, in conjunction with the Colombian Aerospace Force and in coordination with the National Police, has intensified the aerial loudspeaker operations in strategic sectors of the Micay Canyon, in the department of Cauca, with the purpose of weakening the influence of illegal armed structures and promoting ways of surrender to justice. As a result of this sustained effort, 13 voluntary members of the Carlos Patiño structure have surrendered in the last 20 days.
Among those who voluntarily identified themselves are young people, whose ages 20 and 26, some of them with more than five years in the criminal structure. According to the information gathered, they decided to leave the organization due to the pressure of the troops, the constant abuses, mistreatment, defaults in payments and the pressures exerted to use the communities and promote seditions against the Military Forces.
These individuals would be members of the Carlos Patiño residual structure that commits crimes in municipalities such as Argelia, El Tambo and Patía, where this illicit group has maintained its acts through intimidation, coercion of the inhabitants and other criminal activities that affect security in the department of Cauca.
This result represents a progress in the weakening of these structures, not only because of the departure of their members, but because it evidences the effect of the pressure of the sustained military operation that has been taking place in the territory.
In the last 20 days, troops have also reported the finding and controlled destruction of two motorcycles equipped with explosives that were going to be used to attack the inhabitants, mainly in the village of El Plateado; these neutralizations have been carried out within the framework of stability and control operations carried out in the area.
Among the 13 individuals who voluntarily identified themselves are two brothers, who, according to preliminary information, would be alleged experts in the handling of explosives in this region. According to the authorities, they would in the same way be involved in the instruction of minors in the use of drones equipped with explosive charges.
The voluntary surrender of these men in the same way reflects the effect of the acts of persuasion and the loudspeaker operations that has been carried out in the territory, as part of a strategy aimed at weakening illegal structures and promoting their dismantling.
Once this voluntary surrender took place, the route of individual surrender to justice was activated. Colombian National Army will maintain the pressure of the military operation to protect the communities, prevent new criminal acts and continue weakening these structures. In the same way, it is reiterated to the citizens that line 107 is enabled to report terrorist acts or any suspicious situation.
Source: Press - National Army
