The Colombian authorities dealt another important blow to the drug trafficking structures that finance the country’s armed groups.
In the work of the Ayacucho Campaign Plan, established by the National Government to combat transnational threats and drug trafficking, the Command Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats (Conat), with the support of units of the Third Division of the National Army, the Force Colombian Air Force and the National Police, They carried out a helicopter interdiction operation in the remote rural area of the municipality of Santacruz de Guachaves, located in the department of Nariño.
In the middle of the operation, the special command discovered and dismantled a large-scale clandestine laboratory, hidden in the dense vegetation, dedicated to the production of cocaine hydrochloride.
According to the authorities The rustic complex was operated by the José Luis Cabrera Ruales company, of the ELN, and included six artisanal structures equipped for the mass production of the narcotic.
The raid of the site allowed the seizure of more than 2,000 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride and more than 300 kilograms of coca base, as well as a vast amount of chemical inputs, both liquid and solid, and specialized machinery used in the processing of the drug. .
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“At the site, artisanal facilities were located with six structures belonging to the ELN Compañía José Luis Cabrera Ruales where they could produce approximately four to five tons of cocaine per month. In total, the economic impact on this group outside the law amounts to more than 11,000 million pesos, about 2,794,680 dollars.”, indicated the Army Air Assault Division.
The coordination and joint effort of the different branches of the Armed Forces and the National Police ensure substantial progress in the fight against drug trafficking, demonstrating the effectiveness of the government strategy to combat drug trafficking structures in the country.
“The National Army ratifies its commitment to continue working in a joint and coordinated manner to guarantee the security of the civilian population, combating the scourge of drug trafficking that has affected our country so much,” the Army concluded.
The dismantling of the mega cocaine laboratory in Nariño is the second major blow against drug trafficking structures financed by armed groups outside the law, since in February 2024 the Army destroyed another coca production center in the same department.
The events took place on Saturday, February 24, when a group of members of the Military Forces and the Attorney General’s Office located an extensive complex for the production of cocaine in Cumbal, Nariño, controlled by the ELN guerrilla.
The laboratory was Composed of 13 rudimentary structures, it housed 4 tons of high-purity cocaine hydrochloride and its location was possible thanks to intense intelligence work in the El Dorado neighborhood of said municipality.
Through his account on the social network X, the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, highlighted: “The fight against drug trafficking is incessant. Yesterday, in Cumbal, Nariño, the Colombian Military Forces neutralized a laboratory with 13 substructures and seized 4.48 tons of cocaine, economically impacting criminal organizations by almost 23 billion pesos”.
At the site, in addition to cocaine, the troops found more than 132 thousand kilograms of coca base paste, a considerable amount of liquid and solid chemical inputs, as well as equipment used in the narcotic manufacturing process, including 10 microwave ovens, a power generating plant, two artisanal refiners, a hydraulic press among others.
The Military Forces stressed that this coup significantly affects the finances and illicit operations of the ELN, specifically the ‘Comuneros del Sur’ front, estimating an economic impact greater than 22,833 million pesos, which is equivalent to about 5 million dollars per month.
