In the operation, the threat of alias Juan Carlos, who would be the ringleader of the criminal structure, was neutralized.
The operation conducted by the National Army in the department of Cauca continues to produce results for the safety and well-being of its inhabitants. In recent hours, four individuals, apparently members of the residual organized armed group (GAO-r) Carlos Patiño, died in military operations.
The action occurred in the town Baraya, a rural area of the municipality of El Tambo. Troops arrived in the site guided by military intelligence information about the work of these alleged GAO members. There they tried to hide of the different operations that the Military Forces have been conducting in the area, to hit the logistic and criminal networks of the different illegal groups.
According to reports, alias Juan Carlos is accused of being linked to this organization for a period of approximately 16 years, and would be the responsible for three murders in the municipality El Tambo in 2021, including a minor. It is presumed that this individual participated in attacks against the Military Forces in different attacks during the years 2020 and 2021.
Within the organization, his criminal actions would be focused on threats to civilians, illicit financing as a result of extortion and the conscription by force of minors. This man, who had as zones of influence the villages of La Paloma, Baraya, Tamao, Madroño, Pueblo Nuevo, Los Ángeles, Pandiguando and Cuatro Esquinas, of the municipality of El Tambo, had an arrest warrant for the crimes of association to commit aggravated crimes, forced displacement and threats, among others.
For his part, alias Alacrán would be acting as ringleader of the group and would be in charge of the security of alias Juan Carlos, would carry out the collection of money from extortions made against units in the region, in turn he would work in the procurement of logistics, war and explosives material for the structure, he is also responsible for directing armed operations against the Military Forces.
It is worth mentioning that during the operation, it was not possible to carry out the identification process for two of the dead men; the urgent acts to be carried out by judicial police officers were not executed either, since under the crime of riot the bodies were taken by some people, who took them to an unknown destination.
At the scene, two rifles, a grenade, two pistols, communications equipment, ammunition and magazines of different calibre were found by troops and put into custody of the authority.
With this significant result, it was possible to strike directly this structure, as well as counteracting the operations of that organization, a group which aims at illegal recruitment, forced displacement and attacks against the Military Forces.
