According to the Security Council, it is known that a fifth of the drugs originating in the country are produced in Norte de Santander.
Minister Iván Velásquez asks the Military and Police Forces to increase the finding of drugs in Norte de Santander.
Countering the expansion that the GAO Clan del Golfo is beginning to have in the department of Norte de Santander, and countering the operations of dissidents were some of the conclusions of the Security Council held in Cúcuta by the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez Gómez and the military and police commanders.
“We have received information about a strengthening of the GAO Clan del Golfo in Cúcuta and the purpose of that criminal group to expand in the same way in the department; for example, entering the entire Catatumbo region. On this, I have explicitly asked both the police commanders, as well as the army, to redouble their operations to prevent this organization from consolidating in this region of the country,” the Minister said.
He in the same way explained that to the National Government, drug trafficking is at the center of all violence, so he spoke of the need to weaken the illegal organizations that feed on this business.
According to the figures presented at the Security Council, more than 300 tons of cocaine are produced in Norte de Santander, that is, more than a fifth of the total cocaine originating in Colombia.
Given this scenario, the Minister asked the regional commanders to make effective the instruction of President Gustavo Petro to increase the finding of cocaine, but in the same way of liquid and solid supplies.
“In some spaces it has been suggested that the ceasefire has tied the hands of the Military Forces and that is not real. I insist, the ceasefire only foresees the suspension of offensive operations, but not the response to face the crimes that these organizations are committing.”
The minister emphasized on carrying out decisive operations against the Clan del Golfo's drug trafficking and that of the FARC dissidents.
Finally, the Security Council in the same way examined the situation of homicides, finding that it is increasing in some municipalities and not in others. However, according to the Sectional Director of Prosecutors, the motivations are still mainly disputes over territories in the micro-trafficking business.
Source: Defense Sector Communications Office - Ministry of National Defense
