Thanks to the decisive work of the troops of the Vulcano Task Force in the first half of this year, important results were possible in favor of the security and defense of the Catatumbo region.
Department of Norte de Santander. The Task Force Vulcano, unit attached to the Second Division of the National Army, through its tactical units in the municipalities of Tibú, Teorama, El Tarra, Convencion, San Calixto, Hacarí and El Carmen, in compliance with the Campaign Plan “Victoria Plus” and the military and police campaign 'Esparta', in military operations of institutional control of territory and security and defense, have fought on the illicit economies and the acts that generate terror and underdevelopment in the Catatumbo region.
In operations against drug trafficking, the illicit economy system used by illegal armed groups that commit crimes in the region, such as the Eln and 'Los Pelusos', to finance their criminal acts, the troops have found and destroyed 274 coca base paste laboratories, as well as 14 cocaine hydrochloride laboratories, where authorities have discovered 238 kilos of cocaine hydrochloride in process, 379 kilos of cocaine hydrochloride, 176 kilos of coca base paste and 71,000 gallons of coca base paste in process. In the same way, 110 illegal hideouts have been discovered with 46,000 gallons of liquid precursors and 85,000 kilos solid precursors inside.
On the other hand, on the war against illegal mining, in the first semester of 2018, soldiers of the Vulcano Task Force have managed to find and later neutralize under controlled conditions 227 improvised explosive devices, 38 antipersonnel mines, 347 kilos of explosive material, 28 launching means and two unexploded munitions, which would be used by outlaw organized armed groups to attack on the civilian population and the Public Force that exercise territorial control in the Catatumbo region. It is important to mention that the use of improvised explosive devices and antipersonnel mines are considered violation of International Humanitarian Law.
In the frame of the protection of the environment and native forests, 13 illegal petroleum production refineries that hid 26 rudimentary pools that could store petroleum and 42 distillation towers to process this hydrocarbon have been found and dismantled. In the same way, in the frame of the Plan Centurion, troops have found nearly 100,000 gallons of gasoline, 10 gallons of diesel and 97,000 gallons of petroleum. So, in this way, they have heavily attack on the crime of theft of hydrocarbons in the Catatumbo region, which is one more link in drug trafficking.
In the same way, troops have detained 58 members of the ELN and 'Los Pelusos', as well as members of the common criminality, which reduces the armed subsystem of these illegal structures. Similarly, seven voluntary surrenders and eight submissions to justice system were reported in 2018.
Source: Vulcano Task Force - National Army.
