In the midst of armed confrontations, it was possible to arrest eight alleged members of the Martha Elena Barón group, belonging to the Domingo Laín Sanz front, of the Organized Armed Group, GAO, ELN, and the recovery of a minor.
In the course of military operations conducted by troops of the Quirón Task Force of the National Army, jointly with the Colombian Navy and the Colombian Air Force, and inter institutions with the Attorney General's Office, it was possible to arrest eight individuals who would belong to the Organized Armed Group ELN, in the rural area of the municipality of Tame - Arauca. In the military operation one of the arrested was injured, being immediately helped by the troops to safeguard his life.
According to the first investigations, this structure would be related to the kidnappings of civilian and military personnel, extortion, targeted killings, as well as the theft of vehicles on the different roads of the department of Arauca, through the modality of checkpoints for terrorist purposes and the use of these elements to attack civilians, especially in the sectors of Betoyes, Flor Amarillo and Santo Domingo. In the same way, it is presumed that this group is responsible for the kidnapping of the Colombian Navy petty officer, Camilo Andrés Córdoba, in events that occurred last December 13 in Arauca.
During the operation, six rifles, two pistols with their magazines and ammunition, as well as six campaign bags were found by troops. In the operation, a minor was in the same way recovered of the ranks of that Organized Armed Group, which denotes that these groups take minors of age which is serious violation of the rights of minors by this structure, recruiting children and putting their good physical condition and personal development at risk.
Those arrested and the material found were put into custody of the authorities, while the minor was handed over to the Children and Adolescents Police in order to start the process of restoring his rights. It is noteworthy that, thanks to the civic participation support network, information was obtained for this military operation that has as a result the dismantling of this criminal structure.
Source: Press – Navy of Colombia
