Eleven suspected members of the neo-paramilitary “Urabeños” gang on Friday surrendered to authorities in the north Colombian department of Cordoba.
The alleged gang members surrendered themselves to members of the army’s 11th Brigade, who are taking part in an offensive against neo-paramilitary and drug gangs in the region.
The offensive follows the death of two students of the prestigious De Los Andes University in Bogota, who were found murdered on Tuesday near a beach in the north of Cordoba where they were on Holiday.
Authorities say that “Gavilan,” one of the local ringleaders of the neo-paramilitary Urabeños, is held respondible for the double murder.
Cordoba is one of the department that suffers the most of violence that erupted in many parts of Colombia after gangs like “The Rastrojos” and local gangs formed from the demobilized paramilitary organization started contesting the region over control of the drug routes to the Caribbean. Colombia’s Vice President Angelino Garzon earlier this week called these gangs “Colombia’s new enemy.”
