National Army destroys cocaine hydrochloride processing lab in El Retorno, Guaviare

As part of the Ayacucho Plus Campaign Plan, troops from the 19th Jungle Infantry Battalion, part of the 22nd Jungle Brigade, in coordination with the National Police, recently located and carried out the controlled destruction of a cocaine hydrochloride processing laboratory in the rural area of El Turpial, municipality of El Retorno, Guaviare.

According to reports, this illegal facility is believed to belong to the Jorge Suárez Briceño Bloc, Jhon Linares Structure GAO-r, a group that operates in this region of the country and obtains funds through drug trafficking to finance its criminal activities.

During the military operation, 996 kilograms of solid cocaine, 1,025 kilograms of sodium bisulfite, 120 kilograms of activated carbon, 184 gallons of cocaine in suspension, 3,697 gallons of acetone, more than 1,700 gallons of fuel, 30 gallons of hydrochloric acid, and 10 gallons of sulfuric acid, all materials used in the production of the narcotic.

Likewise, materials used for the preparation and distribution of the drug were seized, including a digital scale, 3 washing machines, 5 handmade wooden tables, 2 handmade “dragon-type” blowtorches, 6 microwave ovens, a label, a metal mold, and 2 digital gram scales, among other items.

The National Army, through the 22nd Jungle Brigade, will continue to carry out sustained operations against organized armed groups operating in the region, acting in accordance with the principles of legitimacy, integrity, and strict adherence to the law, with the aim of contributing to the security, stability, and well-being of the department’s residents.

Source: Fourth Division Press.