The National Army deals a blow to the finances of the GAO-r Ismael Ruiz Structure in Chaparral by shutting down an illegal mining operation

Troops from the 17th General Domingo Caicedo Light Infantry Battalion, attached to the National Army’s Sixth Brigade, intervened and destroyed a mining operation that was operating illegally in the rural area of Amoya of the municipality of Chaparral, Tolima. The operation was carried out as part of the fight against the illicit exploitation of mineral deposits and is believed to be linked to the residual organized armed group “Western Bloc Commander Isaías Pardo, Ismael Ruiz Structure.”

Upon arriving at the site, troops confirmed that mineral extraction activities were being carried out without any type of permit or legal authorization. As a result, the production facility was shut down, along with a Hitachi backhoe, a dredge, a diesel engine, 100 gallons of diesel fuel, and a material sorter.

This action dealt an economic blow to the illegal structures estimated at 470,000,000 pesos; added to this is the disruption of a production capacity estimated at 3,000 grams of gold per month, a volume that would exceed 1,000 million pesos on the formal market. This action dealt a direct blow to the finances of the GAO-r FARC, Western Bloc Commander Isaías Pardo, Ismael Ruiz Structure.

The seized items were turned over to the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Environmental Crimes, which will conduct the corresponding investigations and legal proceedings.

Beyond the economic impact, the Sixth Brigade’s intervention helped prevent significant environmental damage in the region.

This action halted the degradation of the vegetation cover, the indiscriminate removal of subsoil, and the risk of contamination of nearby water sources, which were at risk of potential spills of hydrocarbons, such as diesel fuel, and heavy sediments.