These individuals are believed to belong to the criminal gangs Los Cooles and Los del Bosque, which are dedicated to stealing cargo vehicles and high-end automobiles along the main highways of Cauca, with the aim of selling them or delivering them to illegal armed groups operating under the command of alias Iván Mordisco.
During coordinated military operations and in compliance with court orders, troops from the 29th Brigade, a unit of the Third Division of the National Army, in coordination with the Popayán Metropolitan Police,
arrested five individuals in rural and urban areas of Popayán, Cauca.The operation resulted from search and seizure operations carried out in the Calibío sector, the rural area of Torres, and the Valle del Ortigal neighborhood, where authorities apprehended these individuals, who will face charges before the competent authority for the crimes of kidnapping, manufacturing, trafficking, and possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as receiving stolen goods.
Among those arrested is alias Caquetá, identified by authorities as the alleged leader of this criminal organization and who is believed to be linked to the murder of Sergeant Fredy Aldemar Rodríguez Marín, which occurred on November 30, 2025. During that same incident, relatives of Judge Silvio Castrillón were kidnapped and later rescued during the authorities’ response.
Four other individuals were arrested alongside him, known by the aliases Yande, Polari, Zarco or Chanchy, and Ana,
who are believed to be part of an organized criminal network with the capacity to coordinate criminal activities in this area of the department.According to preliminary investigations, this network is believed to be linked to the movement of stolen vehicles to residual organized armed groups operating in the region, particularly those under the command of Carlos Patiño and Jaime Martínez.
Furthermore, these arrests are expected to advance the investigation into several violent incidents that have occurred along strategic routes in Cauca.Similarly, authorities are investigating the possible connection between this criminal network and the attack on November 14, 2025, against Senator Temístocles Ortega on the Pan-American Highway, as well as the theft of a truck loaded with coffee between Timbío and Popayán on May 19.
The truck was later recovered along with the cargo.During the operation, authorities seized a handgun, a rifle, and a non-lethal firearm, magazines, ammunition, a vehicle listed as stolen and with altered identification systems, three cell phones, and documentation associated with vehicles reported as stolen.
The detainees and the seized materials were handed over to the competent authorities, while legal proceedings and investigations into their alleged involvement in other criminal acts in the department continue.
The National Army will continue to carry out coordinated and interagency military operations aimed at disrupting criminal structures operating in Cauca, contributing to the security of strategic corridors, and strengthening peace in communities.
Source:
Third Division Press.
