In joint, coordinated and inter-institutional operations, carried out during the implementation of the Bicentenary Plan 'Heroes of Freedom', the Military Forces have dealt decisive blows to the Organized Armed Groups (GAO) and their illicit activities in several departments of the country, counteracting the actions of criminality and providing security to the people.
Regarding the operations against organized armed groups, it was possible to neutralize 1,719 individuals, (53 deaths in military operations, 1,510 captures and 156 voluntary surrenders). In the same way, troops found 604 small firearms, 235 long range firearms, 28 firearms of accompaniment, in addition to abundant material of communications and military accessories.
In addition, the military units neutralized 631 terrorist operations planned by Organized Armed Groups against the economic infrastructure of the country, the civilian population and the military units, troops found and destroyed 14,767 kilos of explosives.
In the fight against drug trafficking, military units have manually eradicated 13,153 hectares of coca, have destroyed 1,318 drugs laboratories, have found 69,626 kg of cocaine hydrochloride, 21,131 kg of marijuana, 134,147 gallons of liquid precursors and 699,147 kg of solid precursors, contributing in this way to the decrease of the financial capacity of the structures of drug trafficking and organized armed groups.
Regarding operations against kidnapping, extortion and activities related to these crimes, in the last three months, the Military GAULA (ANTI-EXTORTION AND ANTI-KIDNAPPING GROUP) captured 518 criminals for extortion and 65 for kidnapping, conspiracy to commit a crime, trafficking, manufacturing and / or carrying firearms, illicit enrichment, bribery and falsehood in public document. In this way, the outlaw organizations won’t get 5,383 billion pesos.
During the operations carried out by the Military Forces, seven top-level ringleaders have been neutralized, including the death in development of military operations of alias “Manuel” or “El Paisa”, head of the front “José Antonio Galán” of the GAO – ELN, the death of Édgar Mesías Salgado Aragón, alias “Rodrigo Cadete” and the death of José Nencer Salgado alias “Chamo”, ringleaders of Structure 62 of the GAO-Residual.
Finally, Reinaldo Peñaranda aka “Pepe”, Chief of the GAO “Los Pelusos” and Arturo Ordóñez Riveros, aka “Elefante”, head of the ELN's Central War front, were captured.
Source: Strategic Communications - COGFM
