In Tolima, the National Army captured five alleged members of the finance and support networks for terrorism within the residual unit of the Darío Gutiérrez Front

In the municipality of Prado, soldiers from Gaula Elite No. 2, part of Tolima Military Gaula of the Sixth Brigade, and the National Police’s Gaula unit apprehended five alleged members of the finance and terrorist support networks (RAER in Spanish) of the residual organized armed group (GAO-r), the Darío Gutiérrez Front, pursuant to search warrants. Additionally, an arrest was made in the act in rural and urban areas of Prado (Tolima) and in Chía (Cundinamarca).

Thanks to military intelligence efforts, the modus operandi of these individuals was identified; they are allegedly responsible for making threats, distributing extortion leaflets, intimidating, and summoning merchants, cattle ranchers, coffee growers, and other productive sectors in the municipalities of Prado, Dolores, Cunday, Villarrica, and Purificación.

They also coordinated logistical activities such as the procurement and storage of weapons, ammunition, explosives, and quartermaster supplies, as well as the distribution of extortion leaflets and the coordination of criminal actions among the various GAO-r commissions, including the possible creation of the Iván Díaz Front.

During the raids, two long guns, one handgun, one bulletproof vest, and seven cell phones were seized.

Those arrested were handed over to the Attorney General’s Office on charges of aggravated extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion.

This outcome directly impacts the group’s illicit finances, weakens its urban and rural support network, and significantly reduces its criminal capacity and control in the departments of Tolima, Huila, and Cundinamarca. The Sixth Brigade invites the public to report information via the toll-free hotlines 147 and 107.
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Source: Fifth Division Press.