The Colombian Army and National Police captured seven alleged members of the organized armed group (GAO, in Spanish) Clan del Golfo, the most powerful narcotrafficking organization in the country. The joint operation took place in the Montelíbano municipality, Córdoba department, in early July 2021.
Investigations by the Office of the Attorney General show that the detainees belonged to the organization’s Yeison Leudo Chaverra substructure. “This criminal component perpetrated crimes and violent actions against the civilian population and members of the public force,” the Army said in a statement.
The faction operated in the municipalities of Tarazá and San José de Uré, in the subregions of Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, and southern Córdoba, respectively, the Army said. Among those captured are alias Alonso and alias Pirata, who, the military said, are the first and third ranking leaders of the substructure.
“The public force has managed to deal an important blow to the Clan del Golfo criminal group, as it has removed two of its main leaders, with their capability and experience to manage armed structures, directly affecting their organization,” the Army said.
According to Colombian RCN Radio, the Office of the Attorney General has charged the detainees with the crime of manufacturing, trafficking, carrying, or possessing firearms, accessories, parts, or ammunition.
This is the most recent incursion in a series of blows against the Clan del Golfo since late February, when a National Police report revealed that the criminal network had some 3,260 members. “[The Clan del Golfo] is considered today as the largest GAO in the country and one of the largest threats to security in the regions,” the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo said.
According to the police report, the organization has four structures subdivided into 22 groups, with a presence in 124 municipalities in the departments of Antioquia, Córdoba, Meta, Nariño, Chocó, Norte de Santander, Magdalena, Bolívar, Atlántico, and Cesar.
On July 12, the National Police captured an alleged group member identified as alias Avispa or El Negro. The individual operated as an urban commander and head of hitmen, the Colombian TV channel Telemedellín reported.
In June, the National Police captured eight other alleged group members, who were extorting ranchers and businesspeople in Antioquia, the Colombian magazine Semana reported. General Gustavo Franco, commander of Region 6 of the National Police, told Semana that the individuals will be held accountable for the crimes of conspiracy to commit a crime, extortion, and homicide.
Also in June, during Operation Agamemnon II, the National Police arrested four other alleged members of the Pacific substructure of the Clan del Golfo in the department of Chocó.
The National Police, which acted together with the Colombian Navy, reported that “the subjects known as Pollo, Picho, and Gonzalito were captured, in addition to the capture of Nestor on the scene”. The police force found weapons of war with the detainees
