The joint and coordinated operation was carried out in the rural area of the municipalities of Colombia and Baraya, in the department of Huila. During the operation, four men and one woman were arrested.
Within the framework of the stability tasks, the Ninth Brigade through the Tenerife Field Artillery Battalion, the Metropolitan Police of Neiva, through the anti-terrorist group of the DIJIN and the Police Investigation Section SIPOL and the Aerospace Force, dismantled a cell of the support network for residual structures (RAER) of the Darío Gutiérrez group, of the Jorge Suárez Briceño Bloc.
The search efforts, concentrated on the villages of La Unión and San Joaquín, found in the municipalities of Colombia and Baraya, respectively. The collaboration conducted by the different branches led to compliance with the judicial orders issued for the alleged crime of association to commit aggravated crimes, against the aliases Esneider, Juancho, Sandra, Popo or Voz Baja and Gacha, the latter two, well known ringleaders of the RAEr.
Alias Popo or Voz Baja, apparently appointed by the group's financial ringleader, Víctor Chalá, had two-year experience and his extensive knowledge about criminal income. It is presumed that he was in charge of profiling the victims and training the members of the group in the distribution of extortion notes and in intimidating activities in the rural areas of the municipalities of Colombia, Baraya, Villavieja, Santa María, Tello, Aipe and Neiva.
It is believed that Voz Baja and Gacha were responsible for coordinating criminal intelligence activities, aimed at perpetrating criminal operations against members of the Military Forces and the inhabitants. In addition, they were in charge of facilitating the transit of war material and logistics, consolidating the mobility route connecting Meta, Huila and Tolima.
During the operation, a shotgun, a caliber revolver were found by troops.38, nine cell phones, 7.62-millimeter caliber cartridges, two communication radios, illegal invitation tickets, military accessories materials and propaganda elements (calendars).
Source: Press – Ninth Brigade
