Alias Leo, the leader of militias working for alias Mordisco, was arrested along with an explosives expert responsible for drone attacks in Popayán

As part of the Ayacucho Plus Campaign Plan, troops from the Cauca Military Gaula unit of the 29th Brigade, together with the National Police, carried out a search and seizure operation in several neighborhoods of Popayán, Cauca, resulting in the capture of three alleged members of a clandestine militia company belonging to the Central General Staff Estado Mayor Central (EMC) residual group.

The three individuals arrested, including one woman, were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime aggravated by terrorism; and the manufacture, trafficking, and possession of weapons, ammunition, and explosives reserved for the exclusive use of the Military Forces.

Among those arrested is alias Leo, one of Popayán’s most wanted criminals, who served as the leader of urban militias. This individual was responsible for conducting criminal intelligence operations and coordinating the logistics for carrying out attacks in the capital of Cauca.

Along with him, alias Maicol was arrested; he is identified as a drone operator, explosives expert, and alleged perpetrator of multiple terrorist attacks, including the detonation of a car bomb in Belén de Los Andaquíes, Caquetá, in December 2025, and two drone attacks against the José Hilario López Military Headquarters in Popayán, in April and on July 17.

Additionally, “Yeny” was captured; she was a collaborator in the urban network dedicated to identifying and tracking strategic targets so that this armed group could carry out terrorist attacks. According to authorities, these criminal actors specialized in coordinating and executing attacks using explosives, kamikaze drones, and remote-controlled vehicles.

During the military operation, authorities seized 2 drones with their respective remote controls, 2 night-vision goggles, 2 spools of fiber-optic cable (5 kilometers each), 2 tear gas grenades, 5 pamphlets referring to the FARC-EP, 5 cell phones, 2 motorcycles, and vehicle registration documents.

Those arrested and the seized materials were handed over to the competent authorities for the corresponding legal proceedings.

These arrests were made possible thanks to information provided by the community; therefore, the National Army reiterates its call to report any incident that threatens the safety of the people of Cauca via the Military Gaula hotline at 147 and the Anti-Terrorism hotline at 102.