Troops from the Army’s First Division crack down on illegal mining activities linked to the Gulf Clan in Vegachí, Antioquia

As part of military operations aimed at disrupting the funding sources of organized armed groups, troops from the 55th Jungle Battalion “Lieutenant Colonel Alexánder Quintero Ayala,” part of the 19th Brigade, with support from the 1st Anti-Narcotics Brigade, carried out an operation against an illicit economic structure in the rural area of El Tigre, within the jurisdiction of the municipality of Vegachí, Antioquia.

The operation dealt a blow to illegal economic activities that, according to operational intelligence, were linked to the Jorge Iván Arboleda Garcés substructure of the organized armed group Gulf Clan, through the seizure of machinery and equipment used to carry out these activities.

As a result of the operation, two mining production units (UPMs) were disrupted, and a dredger, a motor pump, a backhoe (yellow machinery), 200 gallons of fuel, a power generator, and a sorting machine were seized.

The seizure of these resources directly undermines the logistical and financial capabilities of the structures that benefit from illicit economies, particularly those associated with the illegal exploitation of natural resources. These activities, in addition to generating revenue for armed groups, cause serious negative impacts on the environment and hinder the economic and social development of communities.

With this result, the National Army reaffirms its commitment to combating illicit economies and protecting the nation’s natural resources.

Troops from the 19th Brigade will continue to conduct military operations in coordination with other state institutions, employing all their capabilities to dismantle the structures that seek to use the territory to finance their illegal activities.