Colombia offers $1 billion pesos for alias Ferley Ríos

The Colombian Ministry of Defense has announced a reward of up to 1,000 million pesos for information leading to the capture of José Esteban Méndez Álvis, known as ‘Ferley Ríos’. Military intelligence identifies him as the leader of the Carlos Patiño structure within the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), a dissident faction of the former FARC-EP.

Méndez Álvis is the alleged mastermind behind a car bomb attack at the El Bordo toll booth in Cauca on October 12, 2026. The explosion, which targeted a key route on the Pan-American Highway connecting Colombia and Ecuador, injured three civilians and caused significant damage to public infrastructure, temporarily paralyzing traffic between the Cauca and Nariño departments.

The suspect faces multiple charges, including aggravated conspiracy, aggravated extortion, and kidnapping. Military reports indicate his group has been responsible for an escalation of violence in the regions of La Sierra, Patía, Miranda, and Santander de Quilichao, utilizing improvised explosive devices and explosive-laden drones. Authorities have enabled the Army's 165 hotline and official Ministry of Defense applications to receive information regarding his whereabouts.