Abelardo de la Espriella, a right-wing lawyer and businessman, became Colombia’s president in August 2026. This marked a dramatic political shift from the previous leftist government. Colombia has been a crime stronghold in South America. After four years of Gustavo Petro, a Cuban ally, running the country, the new tough-on-crime President promises to change course.
President de la Espriella vowed to directly combat drug cartels and the Marxist terrorist networks. These cartels and networks constantly target the United States. He plans to reclaim state control over areas plagued by violence from irregular armed groups.
He has begun to fulfill his promises.
President de la Espriella ordered the Military Forces, the National Police, and the Colombian Navy to deal a blow to the Clan del Golfo’s illicit gold mining operations in the Bajo Cauca region through the execution of Operation Aquiles.
The President wrote on this clip:
Today is a great day for Colombia. Operation Sentinel of the Fatherland dealt a resounding blow to narcoterrorism: thanks to an impeccable action by our National Police and a special DIJIN commando, alias Naím, or “Blessed Minor,” was taken down, one of the country’s most dangerous criminals.
The bloody trajectory of this narcoterrorist has come to an end; a man responsible for sowing extortion, drug trafficking, and terror in La Guajira and the Colombian Caribbean.
He will pursue criminals and Marxist terrorists relentlessly.
The firm hand of the State came down on him. In the Government of the Tiger, honest people will no longer live on their knees or cowed by fear. Now it is the criminals who must fear the empire of the law: either they submit to justice or they will face the full legitimate force of the State.
From the moment of my inauguration, I issued a peremptory instruction to the military and police high command: to designate this criminal as a high-value target and pursue him relentlessly. Today, with Operation Sentinel of the Fatherland, we have shown that orders are carried out and that when the State acts with determination, intelligence, and forcefulness, crime retreats.
My support for our Public Force is absolute. We will not abandon, forsake, or allow our heroes to be humiliated. Colombia is recovering the order, authority, and tranquility that criminals sought to take from us.
Firm for the fatherland!
Long live Christ the King!
Hoy es un gran día para Colombia. La Operación Centinela de la Patria dio un golpe contundente al narcoterrorismo: gracias a una acción impecable de nuestra Policía Nacional y de un comando especial de la DIJIN, fue dado de baja alias Naím o “Bendito Menor”, uno de los criminales… pic.twitter.com/q4cwdqLnGM
— Abelardo De La Espriella (@ABDELAESPRIELLA) September 4, 2026
“My order has been clear,” he said, to wage an unrelenting fight against the illegal mining that ravages our ecosystems and fuels terrorism. Every machine destroyed in this river means less pollution, less sediment, and less damage to its channel,” stated de la Espriella.
Military counterintelligence determined that the destroyed mining site produced nearly 26.5 kilograms of gold per month. A sub-structure of Clan del Golfo collected a 15% extortion fee from this output. This created a revenue stream of about $500,000 per month and it helped sustain its terrorist activities.
He announced:
We’re still striking the narcoterrorists in Magdalena!
In Santa Marta, Zona Bananera, Plato, and Fundación, the National Police, in coordination with the Attorney General’s Office, captured 10 individuals for homicide, extortion, illegal possession of weapons, and drug trafficking.
They apprehended alias “Yepi” and “El Cabo,” members of the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra, and alias “El Viejo” or “Roberto,” identified as the right-hand man of alias “Piter,” leader of the Sergio Carrascal Gómez substructure of the Clan del Golfo.
¡Seguimos golpeando a los narcoterroristas en el Magdalena!
En Santa Marta, Zona Bananera, Plato y Fundación, la Policía Nacional, en coordinación con la Fiscalía, capturó a 10 personas por homicidio, extorsión, porte ilegal de armas y tráfico de estupefacientes.
Cayeron alias… pic.twitter.com/YWkzAnDEQI
— Abelardo De La Espriella (@ABDELAESPRIELLA) October 1, 2026
Attacking the networks.
This past week, National Army units struck the logistical networks of dissident factions. They belong to the (now-demobilized) Marxist guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
On September 27, in the El Cadillo neighborhood, in Tello (Huila). The operation was conducted by the National Army, the Police, and the Air Force. They struck the Second Marquetalia of Iván Márquez. Authorities took down alias “Robinson Gutiérrez”, political and financial leader of the Teófilo Forero Castro structure. This criminal is implicated in the murder of Miguel Uribe Turbay. De la Espriella said he will not stop demanding that the full truth about that crime be established.
¡Importante resultado!
Hace pocos minutos, en la vereda El Cadillo, en Tello (Huila), una operación del Ejército Nacional, la Policía y la Fuerza Aérea golpeó a la Segunda Marquetalia de Iván Márquez. Alias “Robinson Gutiérrez”, cabecilla político y financiero de la estructura… pic.twitter.com/17Huz6PHeq
— Abelardo De La Espriella (@ABDELAESPRIELLA) September 27, 2026