Four members of the Clan del Golfo, Colombia’s leading drug trafficking cartel, were killed last week during the first airstrike ordered by President Gustavo Petro against this criminal organization, an official source reported on Monday.
“The operation conducted by the national army in the village of Bejuquillo, located in the Antioquia department, resulted in the deaths of four cartel members and the seizure of eight firearms,” President Petro stated on social media.
This airstrike represents the first military action against the cocaine trafficking organization during Petro’s administration, which began when he became the country’s first leftist president after being elected in the summer of 2022.
“The Clan has sought to strengthen their armed units through political and economic alliances in this region, and our military operations have significantly disrupted their plans,” asserted President Petro.
Antioquia department, situated in northwestern Colombia, is one of the primary strongholds of the Clan del Golfo. The cartel controls drug trafficking routes in the area, as well as illegal gold mines, and exploits illegal immigration and human trafficking to diversify its income streams.
During the same operation, four soldiers tragically lost their lives on Thursday while rappelling from a helicopter, according to President Petro, a loss previously reported by the Colombian army.
The leader of the Clan del Golfo, known as Otoniel, was captured in October 2022 and subsequently extradited to the United States.
