The Colombian National Police’s continued offensive against criminal organizations has resulted in 23 arrests, including a leader of the “Los Rastrojos” drug trafficking gang, newspaper El Espectador reported Friday.
Police captured Fernando Molano Moreno alias “Sobrino” during a raid in the Valle del Cauca department, according to authorities. A leader of the Los Rastrojos gang, Sobrino operated with about 40 other criminals under his command. Sobrino is accused of numerous crimes including the kidnapping of three former officials from the municipality of El Bordo and the murder, dismemberment and burning of two women.
Sobrino’s arrest follows the capture of fellow Los Rastrojos member Libardo Murcia Hernandez Thursday.
Two illegal mines were also closed down in the banana growing region of the Magdalena department and in Puerto Colombia in the Atlantic department. The unauthorized mining of gold was used to directly finance the drug trafficking groups operating in the northern Colombian region.
During these operations 23 people were arrested and authorities confiscated mining equipment.