According to initial investigations, those arrested are believed to be members of the Carlos Patiño Group and are linked to the bomb-making unit led by alias Rayo, identified as one of the main instigators of terrorist activities in this region in recent years.
During offensive military operations, troops from the 7th Light Infantry Battalion of the 29th Brigade of the National Army, in coordination with the National Police and in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office,
apprehended two individuals in the act in a rural area of the township of Cajete, in the municipality of Popayán, Cauca.During the military operation, authorities seized a pistol, two 7.65-millimeter cartridges, a pistol magazine, a homemade drone, three cell phones, a USB drive, pamphlets referencing a residual organized armed group, and two motorcycles.
The captured individuals, known by the aliases Santiago and Johan or Renco, are alleged to have served as explosives experts specializing in the use of drones. Alias Santiago is reported to have been part of this group for over three years, while alias Johan or Renco is said to have been a member for more than seven years. According to authorities, both have been linked to the organization since they were minors, a situation that highlights the illegal recruitment practices employed by these illegal armed groups.
Investigations indicate that alias Johan is allegedly linked to the terrorist attack carried out on November 2, 2024, against the facilities of the General José Hilario López Military Headquarters in Popayán, where a vehicle was rigged with explosives in the vicinity of the military unit. Likewise, he is allegedly responsible for the attack that occurred on July 7, 2025, at the police substation in the township of El Estrecho, municipality of Patía, Cauca, where a vehicle loaded with explosives was detonated, resulting in one fatality, several injured officers, and material damage to police and civilian infrastructure.
Similarly, it is known that the other suspect, while still a minor, allegedly participated in the terrorist attack that occurred on October 19, 2025, in the municipality of Patía, Cauca, where a car bomb was detonated against the police station, an action that left three officers injured.
According to information known to the authorities, alias Santiago and alias Johan were also tasked with targeting police and military facilities in the municipality of Popayán by equipping improvised explosive devices on vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, a method that poses a threat to law enforcement and the civilian population.
The seizure of a homemade drone and propaganda material demonstrates these groups’ interest in using such capabilities for intimidation and attacks in rural areas, disrupting the peace of communities and security in this part of the department.
The detainees and the seized material were handed over to the competent authorities, while interagency coordination continues to advance the relevant investigations.
The National Army will continue to carry out sustained, coordinated, and interagency military operations to protect the civilian population, neutralize threats, and disrupt the activities of criminal organizations operating in the department of Cauca.
Source:
Third Division Press.
