Thanks to information provided by the Civic Participation Network, several devices and anti-personnel mines were found by troops and destroyed under controlled conditions, machinery of the illegal exploitation of mining sites was found and several members of organized armed groups were captured.
In the south of the department of Córdoba, in the village Santa Rosa, rural area of Puerto Libertador, anti-explosive technicians of the National Army neutralized four antipersonnel mines, which had been planted by the Rubén Darío Ávila substructure of the GAO “Clan del Golfo”, with the objective of attacking on the civil population. These deadly traps were found on rural roads that are daily used by peasants in the sector to carry out their daily activities.
This is the fifth terrorist plan that is prevented thanks to the rapid reaction of the troops, which guarantee the protection and safety of the citizens.
Another action occurred in the Bajo Cauca sub-region in the department of Antioquia. In the hamlet El Rayo de Tarazá, the troops found a group of criminals belonging to the substructure 'Julio Cesar Vargas' of the GAO “Clan del Golfo”. In that place, these individuals tried to hide of the constant operations deployed by the Military and Police Campaign 'Aquiles'.
There after firefights, it was possible to capture four individuals who were commanded by alias 'Ricardo', second ringleader of this substructure, who ordered homicides and extortion of money in the municipality. It was in the same way possible to find a rifle, ammunition, a hand grenade, as well as military accessories. This material and the criminals were put into custody of the authorities.
On the other hand, in military operations deployed within the strategic line “Water, Biodiversity and Environment” of the Defense and Security Policy of the Republic of Colombia, the National Army jointly and coordinately with the National Navy and the Police, dismantled an illegal unit of exploitation of mining deposits in the rural area of El Carmen del Darién in the north of the department of Chocó.
The action occurred in the village La Urada - Jiguamiandó, where the troops found and neutralized a backhoe, two dredges, several gallons of fuel, a tool for the maintenance of the machinery and equipment used in the zone. Food and documents that at this time are verified by military intelligence analysts were also found. These elements would have a cost of around 1,500 million pesos and would be part of the logistics structure for criminal income of the ELN's Western war front, and it was established that it could generate profits of more than 320 million pesos per month.
In this operation, six individuals were captured, who, with the machinery, were put into custody of the authorities for their respective judicial process.
With this result, the illicit income system of this organized armed group is hit in a decisive manner, who, regardless of the environmental consequences, seeks to obtain profit. In the same way, the serious damage to the flora, fauna and water sources that was generated by the indiscriminate use of machinery and chemicals stopped. These exploitation sites did not have any kind of control or regulation.
During the first four months of 2019, military operations in northwestern Colombia have led to the capture of 624 people and the neutralization of 81 mines and explosive devices. In the same way, troops have found 73 dredgers, 20 backhoes and 133 engines and / or motor pumps.
Source: National Army
