Colombian police said Tuesday they have dealt a blow to a major drug trafficking operation, which has been partly maintained through an alliance of neo-paramilitary and guerrilla groups.
Police announced the arrest of 22 members of the Popular Liberation Army [EPL], a guerrilla group which largely disbanded in 1991, but the remnants of which are active in drug trafficking under the leadership of Victor Ramon Navarro Serrano, alias ‘Megateo.’
The group has established an alliance with Colombia’s two biggest guerrilla groups, the FARC and ELN, as well as with neo-paramilitaries in the northern border state of Norte de Santander.
According to a police press release, the arrests were part of “Operation Catatumbo,” an operation being undertaken by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation that focused on the central northern regions close to the Venezuelan border, where guerrilla and criminal groups are prevalent.
Among the arrested was Milton Torres Sanchez, alias “Milton,” who is thought to organize the exchange of drugs for weapons, upon which the alliance of the groups is built.
The Colombian government has previously offered a $1.1 million reward for information leading to the capture of Megateo, who remains at large.