In the last few hours, the joint action of the National Police of all Colombians, the Military Forces and the Attorney General’s Office made it possible to deal a forceful blow to the ELN guerrillas, by capturing the two main leaders of the ‘Rafael Villamizar’ of the ‘Domingo Laín Sáenz’ Front, of the Eastern War Front, known in the world of crime as ‘Danner’ and ‘Méndez’ or ‘Piscingo’.
The Minister of National Defense, Iván Velásquez Gómez, revealed that the operation, led by the Police Intelligence Directorate (DIPOL), was carried out in the village of San José Obrero, in the jurisdiction of the municipality of Fortul (Arauca), within the framework of the institutional strategy against crime.
In turn, the Director General of the National Police, Major General William René Salamanca Ramírez, pointed out that during the action war and quartermaster material was also seized, including two 9-millimeter pistols, a shotgun, five magazines, 30 cartridges, five cell phones , five memories, a notice book and different agendas and doctrinal material of that organization.
Those captured followed direct instructions from the top commanders of the National Directorate and the ELN Central Command and dynamized the impact armed actions against the civilian population, the strategic infrastructure and the public force in the department of Arauca.
‘Danner’ had a valid arrest warrant, issued by the Arauca First Specialized Prosecutor’s Office, for the crimes of rebellion and acts of terrorism. He had been in the ranks of that guerrilla for 30 years and had been designated by aliases ‘Raúl’ or ‘Nacho’, the main leader of the Eastern War Front of this Organized Armed Group Outside the Law, as responsible for the armed structure with interference in the municipality of Fortul (Arauca), being in charge of boosting drug trafficking routes and leading extortion and kidnapping.
Together with ‘Méndez’ or ‘Piscingo’, they led an armed strike in Arauca, between February 13 and 17, 2020, carrying out terrorist actions against personnel from the Saravena and Fortul police stations, in addition to installing explosive devices in public roads.
This operational activity was carried out in development of the New Comprehensive Security Strategy, with Emphasis on Citizen Coexistence and Climate Change of the National Police, which is fully aligned with the Security, Defense and Citizen Coexistence Policy ‘Guarantees for Life and Paz’ of the Ministry of Defense and the National Government.