14 Colombians were among 17 people arrested for the murder of two Venezuelan soldiers, Venezuela’s defense minister Henry Rangel announced Thursday.
The two soldiers were ambushed and killed while patrolling the Colombian border in Venezuela’s Tachira state Saturday.
According to Rangel, one of the detained is Edgardo Andrade Dussan Carvajal, alias “Tato,” wanted by Colombian authorities for drug trafficking. Andrade reportedly had $1.7 million in his bank account at the time of his capture.
Security on the border has subsequently been increased, with 2,000 soldiers patrolling the area.
The Colombian-Venezuelan border has been a hotspot of activity recently, with security forces from both countries clashing with guerrillas and other groups involved in drug trafficking.