Colombia’s ‘Ñeque’ killed in Cauca; Petro orders total offensive against FARC disidences

On 29 June 2026 Colombian forces carried out a military operation in the rural area of Tacueyó, Toribío, Cauca. The operation neutralised Juan Diego Palta Montero, alias “Ñeque”, identified as the right‑hand man of the recently killed commander “Marlon” and a senior figure in the Iván Mordisco dissident faction of the former FARC. Three other militants of the same structure were also killed.

The U.S. State Department had offered a US$5 million bounty for information leading to Ñeque’s capture and he faced extradition on charges of narcotrafficking, narcoterrorism and weapons offenses. Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed the death of Ñeque while stating that the death of “Marlon” remains unverified pending forensic identification.

President Gustavo Petro, reacting to the operation, ordered a “total offensive” against the Iván Mordisco group, urging military and police commanders to intensify actions and calling on forcibly recruited minors to abandon the armed group. The offensive aims to dismantle the remaining leadership and logistics of the dissident faction, which has been linked to drug trafficking, extortion and attacks on civilians in Cauca and neighboring departments.