During last week, the Colombian Military Forces have made significant progress in the fight against drug trafficking, criminal organizations and illegal mining, obtaining powerful results in several departments of the country: Norte de Santander, Cundinamarca, Meta, Guaviare, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Cauca and Nariño. These operations counteract the criminal activity of organized armed groups and are aimed at strengthening the security and well-being of Colombians.
In the framework of combined river and land operations, soldiers and navy men found and destroyed 53 laboratories used for the manufacture of coca paste base and three mega laboratories for the production of cocaine hydrochloride. These constructions are essential for the manufacture of narcotic substances, therefore, their destruction directly disturbed the production chain of the armed groups specialized in drug trafficking.
During these military operations, clashes were reported against members of the Residual Organized Armed Group, GAO-r, Structure-39 Arsenio Niño, in the village of El Anzuelo, Mapiripán (Meta), resulting in one death in the framework of military operations; two arrests; successful recovery of a minor; important finding that included 13 rifles; one machinegun; five handguns; 71 magazines along with beyond 2,700 cartridges.
In addition, in the framework of Operation Catatumbo, in the village of Brisas (Department of Norte de Santander), a confrontation against the Organized Armed Group, GAO, ELN, was reported, leaving one dead in the framework of military operations, two arrested and the finding of two long weapons and six short weapons. In the village of El Paraíso, Rovira (Tolima), a combat took place against the GAO-R structure, Calarcá faction of the front Joaquín González, resulting in two deaths in the framework of military operations, including alias Cancharino, head of finance of the Jorge Suarez Briceño Bloc, led by alias Calarcá.
It was possible to make important arrests and the finding of abundant war material, military accessories and communications. In the village of San Antonio, Cajibío, (Cauca), three M16 rifles, a pistol and 440 rounds of ammunition were found by troops. In the rural area of Silvia, Cauca, troops arrested a member of the Organized Armed Group, GAO, ELN and found 2,012 kilos of marijuana. In the same way, in Uribe, Meta, a combat against the GAO-R and Ever Castro was carried out, it was possible the arrest of three individuals, the finding of three handguns, 779 ammunition and two pickup trucks. In the same way, two members of the Tren de Aragua were arrested in Soacha, Cundinamarca, who were found by troops with several weapons, cartridges and cannabis.
Among the arrests, the one of alias Escoba, alleged member of the Residual Organized Armed Group Iván Ríos, stands out. This man, apparently, was in charge of collecting money from extortion against and coordinating the microtrafficking in Tumaco, Nariño. In the same way, the troops report the arrest of an individual of the Organized Armed Group, GAO, ELN while receiving an extortion payment of 200 million pesos from a businesswoman in the digital sector in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander Department.
Thanks to the effective work of the troops in Miraflores, Guaviare, two members of the GAO-r E Armando Ríos surrendered to justice, who handed over war material, including rifles and ammunition. Similarly, in Dagua, Valle del Cauca, alias Estiven García, a member of the GAO-r E Jaime Martínez, voluntarily surrendered to justice, handing over a long range rifle, 345 cartridges of different calibers, four magazines and an improvised explosive device for a drone.
In the operations, more than 3,200 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride were found by troops during two interceptions in the South Pacific of Colombia. In these operations, 1,185 gallons of fuel were in the same way found and six individuals allegedly involved in the trafficking of these illicit substances were arrested. In total, the Colombian Military forces found during the last few days, 4,180 kilograms of cocaine and more than 2,000 kilograms of marijuana.
Finally, as part of the protection of the environment and the fight against illegal mining, the Military Forces carried out powerful operations: They destroyed in Cáceres, Antioquia, four Mining Production Units, three backhoes and an industrial engine, all belonging to the Organized Armed Group, GAO, Clan del Golfo. In the village of La Marcela, in Patía, Cauca, two backhoes and two industrial engines associated with GAO-r Carlos Patiño were destroyed. In the same way, in the Otu village, in Remedios, Antioquia, ten Mining Production Units, a backhoe loader, eleven dredgers, twenty-seven motor pumps and two industrial engines, materials linked to the Organized Armed Group, GAO, Jorge Iván Arboleda Garcés, were destroyed.
In summary, during the last week, Colombian National Army, the Colombian Navy and the Aerospace Force neutralize the threat posed by four individuals, arrest 18 criminals, recover a minor and obtained the voluntarily surrender to justice 14 individuals.
