The National Army disrupted the ELN’s illicit operations, seizing more than 2.8 billion pesos in the Catatumbo region

During military operations carried out by the Command Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats (CONAT), troops from the 47th Ground Operations Battalion successfully located and safely dismantled an illegal, makeshift refinery used for the extraction and distillation of crude oil stolen from the Caño Limón-Coveñas pipeline, in the department of Norte de Santander.

The operation took place in the rural area of J10 Quemadero, in the municipality of Tibú, where, thanks to military intelligence, five makeshift storage tanks were found that were being used by members of the Juan Fernando Porras Martínez Front of the ELN organized armed group (GAO) to store hydrocarbons, a raw material used in the processing of cocaine hydrochloride.

During the military operation, 80,844 gallons of diesel fuel and 65,285 gallons of gasoline were seized, allegedly used to bolster the illicit economies of this illegal armed group.

The legal proceedings related to this operation were carried out by personnel from the National Police’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate.

This operational result deals a blow of nearly 2.8 billion pesos to the criminal finances of the ELN GAO, weakening its logistical and financial capabilities in the Catatumbo region.

The National Army condemns illegal actions that seriously harm the environment and natural resources, due to the contamination of water sources and the damage to flora and fauna caused by such illicit activities carried out by organized armed groups.

Source: Second Division Press.