About 6,000 soldiers of the Seventh Brigade are in charge of securing the department of Meta in its 82,805 square kilometers, being the department with more than half of Colombia's proven petroleum reserves.
The dismantling of criminal groups, the finding of copper and the arrests of those accused of committing theft are the proof of the power of the military operation of the troops of the Seventh Brigade in order to protect the petroleum production and the economy of an entire country.
The focus is set on the municipality of Puerto Gaitán, 198 kilometers from Villavicencio, which is the epicenter of the department's petroleum industry; there the monetary losses amounted to more than 5400 million pesos due to criminals who stole essential components, but thanks to the operation of Colombian National Army and the Police it was possible to dismantle the Osiris gang, specialized in committing this illicit.
In addition, so far in 2024, the troops have recovered 18,444.22 square meters of copper equivalent to 10 tons; they also have found vehicles that were used to transport stolen items, drones, cell phones, energy generators valued at 100 million pesos and batteries, whose value amounts to more than 6 million pesos; in addition to this, the finance group of the 39th Front of the EMC FARC, specialized in extorting contractors and people of the zone, has been dismantled.
"We express our gratitude for these precise blows to these extortionists, because the truth is that they had us besieged with menaces and other types of messages demanding high sums of money. You give us tranquility back" said Javier Barrea, who serves as head of security in the petroleum industry, after the meeting with Colonel Gerson Rincón Morantes, commander of the Seventh Brigade, who accompanies the communities on the ground.
Source: Press - Fourth Division of Colombian National Army
