In Norte de Santander, 7 ELN members in charge of supplying the guerrillas fall

The National Liberation Army ELN suffered a blow to the structures of its financing, in an operation carried out between the Prosecutor's Office through the Specialized Directorate against Criminal Organizations and the Specialized Directorate for the Extinction of Dominion, together with the National Police, achieved the capture of seven members ( of whom one is a police officer and the other is a retiring chief intendent), who are accused of providing resources to the illegal armed group.

“The evidence shows that they would be responsible for entering beef and other items smuggled by trails into Cúcuta and Villa del Rosario,” the authorities said in a statement adding that “they were obtaining resources for the armed apparatus of the Carlos Germán Velasco Villamizar front.”

Among those arrested is the alleged leader of the network alias 'Lentijas, two members of Venezuelan nationality and what is most striking, the policeman identified as Johan Contreras and a retired chief intendent known as José Andrade.

“The investigation established that the uniformed, between 2020 and the end of 2021, would have received money to allow meat products and other types of goods to illegally cross into Colombian territory without any control,” the statement said.

Among the seized assets are two carbines, five cell phones, an agenda with information on transactions, a revolver, two assets, a property, and 149 semi-movientes. The authorities also found six jaguars, four deer and four morrocoy turtles, which are available to the respective environmental authorities.

The pair of Venezuelans were allegedly in charge of the transit and storage of smuggling on their farm: “The evidence indicates that, through this property, meat and dairy products from Venezuela appeared to cross, and merchandise came out for the leaders of the ELN,” the statement said.

The prisoners were presented to a guarantee control judge in Cúcuta who charged them with the concert charges of aggravated crime, financing terrorism, smuggling and bribery, but the unionies did not accept.

Regarding the criminal act of the guerrilla group, according to the police, the ELN would be hiring villagers to attack the oil infrastructure in Barrancabermeja. The authorities have offered a reward of 50 million pesos to find those responsible for the events.

In February, an explosive device hit line 703 of water and crude oil that reaches station 7 of the La Cira Infantas field, jurisdiction of the Campo 25 village, El Centro district, in the municipality of Barrancabermeja, affecting soils and vegetation in the area. This attack was the second in the month and is added to the list that has been carried out since 2021 by the armed group of the ELN.

According to the impact this has on the environment, the economy and the public, the Police have conducted an investigation to determine how the guerrilla group is proceeding and how it managed to carry out the attacks without alerting the authorities. In this process, it was found that the Eln would be hiring residents of the area to commit attacks on oil infrastructure.

“As a result of what has happened historically through the attacks in Barrancabermeja, it has been identified that this is an 'outsourcing' in which they are simply hiring local people here in Barrancabermeja to develop this type of impact on the community in general,” said Colonel Alexander Sánchez, commander of the Magdalena Medio Police. The official added that this is a way of showing the dominance it has in the area and that its presence is relevant despite attempts by place against the illegal structure in the area.

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