Plan of Stabilization of the Government of Iván Duque in Arauca, dealt a decisive operational blow to the dissidents of the Farc.
Military and police operation in Araucan territory against the tenth structure of the Farc dissidents, resulting in the neutralization of its ringleader alias Arturo and political ringleader alias Ernesto.
Alias Arturo was accused of the crimes of homicide, terrorism, extortion and theft, among others, he was in the same way one of the masterminds of the car bomb in Saravena and was making explosive devices of the La Victoria sector in Venezuela.
As a result of the operation of the military and police, and in response to the terrorist operations of the criminal groups that commit crimes in the border area with Venezuela, with which they have been seeking to frighten the inhabitants of Arauca, the Minister of Defence, Diego Molano, has announced that after a joint operation coordinated by the National Army, the Navy, the Air Force of Colombia and the National Police, 23 dissidents of the structure tenth of the Farc dissidents were neutralized and five more were arrested.
In compliance with the Stabilization Plan to Arauca, drawn up by the Government of President Iván Duque and which seeks to protect the civilians, through the containment of the crime at the border and the operation of the Military Forces against the criminal structures of dissidnets of the Farc, Eln, and Second Marquetalia, was neutralized the threat, in Puerto Rondon, of alias Arturo, head of the structure tenth of the Farc and head of the attack with a car bomb in Saravena, along with 22 other members of this gang.
It is important to emphasize that the final 20th January, the Minister Molano had revealed a reward of 500 million pesos, for information that would lead to fond alias Arturo, so that the Military Forces could pursue him, arrest him to make him pay for the crimes committed against the inhabitants of Arauca.
The Minister of Defense revealed that this operational heavy blow by the Military Forces and the National Police occurred moments after the group of criminals entered Colombian territory, coming from Venezuela. “Any ringleader of Eln or Farc Dissidents in Venezuela has closed the doors of Colombia. It must be clear, they turn themselves in or we arrest them,” Minister Molano heavily warned.
Two machine guns, five rifles, nine pistols, two mortars, one multiple grenade launcher, 11 hand grenades, military hardware, communications and technological equipment of interest to military intelligence were found by troops at the scene.
On the other hand, the chief of Defense showed that the free mobility in Venezuelan territory by members of different criminal groups constitutes a problem for security in Colombia.
“On several occasions we have denounced that the problem lies in the fact that these killers move freely in Venezuela, but commit crimes in Colombia,” said the Defense Minister, while recalling the criminal finances with which criminals finance: “we are unmasking the ELN and the Farc dissidents whose true motivation is drug trafficking, money laundering and illegal activities,” Molano said.
The courage, self-denial and professionalism of the men and women who participated in the military and police operation was highlighted by the Minister of Defence. He thanked their commitment to Colombia and especially to all the inhabitants of Arauca.
General Luis Fernando Navarro, commander of the Military Forces, said that this important result is part of compliance with the security instructions issued by President Iván Duque, and he detailed that the heavy blow was achieved thanks to the integration of Resources from all the Military Forces, the National Police and the Attorney General's Office. “The intelligence bubble was the one that led us to find the criminals,” the high official detailed.
Finally, the authorities warned that they will continue to give continuity to the Arauca Stabilization Plan through three axes: Containment, Protection and offensive Operation. The government seeks to bring containment to the border, Protection to civilians, and a major operation against the criminal structures of Farc, Eln and the Segunda Marquetalia Dissidents.
Criminal profile of alias Arturo
Alias Arturo or Gerónimo had been granted an amnesty in the latter case, which was granted as a result of his connection with the peace process with the Farc, which led him to be released of the prison where he was being held. He was under three arrest warrants for offences such as aggravated conspiracy to commit murder, terrorism, trafficking in firearms, extortion, theft, kidnapping, rebellion and unlawful recruitment. In the same way, by military intelligence information, it was possible to determine that this criminal would have gone to the Sector of La Victoria in Venezuela, with a machine with which he was elaborating explosive devices, to manufacture missiles.
Source: Defence Sector Communications Office - Ministry of National Defence
