This individual is accused of participating in the planning and execution of several operations against the inhabitants and the Military Forces in the southwest of the country.
In the framework of military operations, the Military Forces dealt a powerful blow to the logistical and criminal structures of the organized armed group Eln that commits crimes in the departments of Cauca, Valle del Cauca and Chocó department.
In a joint and coordinated work of troops of Colombian National Army, the Colombian Navy and the Colombian Aerospace Force, with the support of the National Police, the death occurred in the framework of military operations of Miguel Mulato Collazos, alias Modesto or Alirio, who was the main ringleader of the Luis Carlos Cárdenas Front of this organized armed group.
The incident took place in the rural area of Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, where this individual was trying to hide of the operation of the military operation conducted by the Military Forces against all crime phenomena in the southwest of the country. In that region, alias Modesto was planning several operations against the inhabitants, such as extortions, forced recruitment of minors, drug trafficking and homicides.
Information in the possession of the authorities indicates that this individual had been appointed coordinator of the mixed structures belonging to the Western War Front and the Southwestern War Front of the Eln, with the aim of regaining illegal control of the territory in the departments of Cauca, Chocó department and Valle del Cauca. In addition, it was established that he received direct and permanent orders from alias Richard o Kibul, ringleader of the South Western War Front.
During the fighting, the other members of that gang fled the scene, abandoning the lifeless body of their ringleader. The Military Forces found a rifle, an explosive device, 5.56 mm caliber ammunition, as well as material of military accessories and communication equipment that apparently belonged to the ringleader.
Through this important result of the military operation, the authorities neutralize the criminal intentions of this Organized Armed Group to restore illegal control of the territory to the Western and Southwestern War Fronts by creating strategic routes that interconnect the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca with Chocó department for the transportation of drugs to Central and North America.
In the same way, the financial strengthening plan of the Western and Southwestern War Front is neutralized, since control over illicit activities in this area has been pro-drug trafficking and illegal mining, reaching 12 billion pesos per month; these funds finance the terrorist structures of the ELN in the Colombian Pacific.
The forced recruitment activities in the rural area of the District of Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, are in the same way disturbed.
The authorities have established that alias Modesto or Alirio was conducting the creation of this front in order to confront members of the Jaime Martínez structure of the FARC dissidents. The armed confrontations conducted by the ELN and the dissidents are caused by the dispute over the illegal control of the territory, used for the collection and transportation of narcotics. These events have led to the forced displacement of more than 1,300 people and the confinement of 1,200 inhabitants in the villages on the Raposo, Cajambre and Yurumanguí rivers in the Valle del Cauca.
Source: Strategic Communications - General command of the military forces
