The Colombian military will deploy elite troops in the north Colombian department of Cordoba to combat drug trafficking gangs, newspaper El Tiempo reported Monday.
The Minister of Defense said that the operation “Troya” was designed with the aim to “asphyxiate financial sources” of illegal groups operating in the region.
“The criminal economy of these organizations is still very strong and helps finance extortion, illegal mining and drug trafficking,” he added.
A cooperative effort between the army, Colombian air force, the DAS and the Police, Troya will trigger the deployment of forces to close trafficking corridors. In addition, they will attempt to shut off the financing networks of illegal armed groups like “Los Paisas,” “Los Rastrojos,” “Los Urabeños” and the FARC.
According to the director of the National Police, the aim is to have the operation developed and executed within a 90 day period.
Judicial experts have also been sent to the region to expedite the prosecution efforts of captured gang members with a particular focus being placed on bringing to justice those responsible for the 51 homicides committed in Cordoba so far this year.
While Cordoba will be the center of operations, the deployment has the scope to extend to surrounding Caribbean departments.
The department of Cordoba became the center of media attention at the beginning of this year after alleged members of neo-paramilitary group Los Urabeños murdered two students from Bogota.