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28 clusters · 138 sources · 142 days · First seen · Last updated

Colombia: Military offensive and ACSN leadership instability

Overview

The 2026 Colombian government offensive against dissident FARC factions, the Clan del Golfo, and the ELN has intensified, marked by significant narcotics seizures and a breakdown in negotiations. President Abelardo de la Espriella officially terminated peace negotiations with the Estado Mayor de los Bloques Magdalena Medio (EMBF), the Coordinadora Nacional Ejército Bolivariano (CNEB), and the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), citing a lack of genuine willingness to reach agreements.

Military operations have escalated in Guaviare, Nariño, and Cauca. In Guaviare, ‘Operación Militar Azarías’ against the Frente Carolina Ramírez resulted in at least eight combatants killed. In Nariño, security forces engaged the Franco Benavides front of the FARC dissidents, killing seven members. In La Sierra, Cauca, authorities captured an ELN leader known as ‘el Flaco.’

The ACSN has faced severe destabilization following the death of high-ranking leader Naín Andrés Pérez Toncel, alias ‘Bendito Menor,’ and his partner, Rosa Angélica Tarazona, during a police operation in Riohacha. This death has triggered a power struggle, with figures such as ‘Cholo’ and ‘Patilizo’ identified as potential successors, though ‘Cholo’ was later killed in a separate operation. The vacuum in La Guajira has reportedly allowed the ELN to begin occupying spaces near the Venezuelan border.

In Santa Marta, recent ACSN activity includes an attack on the Mountain Battalion No. 6 that killed one soldier and wounded another, leading to the capture of an individual known as ‘Kevin Masacre.’ Additionally, the death of ACSN leader ‘Cholo’ sparked road blockades and bus burnings in Magdalena.

Entities

Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada · Abelardo De La Espriella · Colombia · Clan del Golfo · ELN

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. [CRIME] 7 sources
    Santa Marta: One soldier killed and another wounded in ACSN attack

    A soldier was killed and another wounded during an attack by the ACSN armed group in Guachaca, Santa Marta, leaving local students trapped in a school during the gunfire.

  2. [CRIME] 2 sources
    Armed group shifts and prison escape destabilize Colombian regions

    The death of ACSN leaders has triggered territorial shifts in La Guajira, with the ELN expanding its presence, and prompted security concerns in Santa Marta following the escape of 41 detainees.

  3. [CRIME] 12 sources
    Colombia security forces strike ACSN criminal structure in Sierra Nevada

    Colombian authorities captured 13 members of the ACSN criminal group, including the partner of leader alias ‘Pinocho’, and uncovered ties to the Sinaloa Cartel during major raids in Magdalena.

  4. [CRIME] 2 sources
    Colombia Ministry of Defense denies reports on identity of deceased in ACSN operation

    Colombia's Ministry of Defense denied claims that the son of an ACSN leader was killed during a military operation in Magdalena that left seven armed group members dead.

  5. [CRIME] 3 sources
    Colombia police kill ACSN paramilitary leader alias Cholo

    Colombian police killed José Luis Pérez Villanueva, alias Cholo, a leader of the ACSN paramilitary group, in an operation that left seven dead and sparked road blockades in Magdalena.

  6. [CRIME] 4 sources
    Colombia military operations kill 7 FARC dissidents and capture ELN leader

    Colombian President Abelardo De la Espriella confirmed the death of seven FARC dissidents in Nariño and the capture of an ELN leader, 'el Flaco,' in Cauca during recent military operations.

  7. [CRIME] 3 sources
    ACSN leadership dispute follows death of ‘Bendito Menor’

    The death of ACSN leader ‘Bendito Menor’ in a Colombian military operation has sparked a leadership dispute between two high-ranking members while Medicina Legal denies involvement in leaked photos of the crime

  8. [CRIME] 20 sources
    Bendito Menor death sparks political debate and armed funeral in Colombia

    The death of criminal leader 'Bendito Menor' in Riohacha has sparked debate between President De La Espriella and former President Petro over police use of force and a controversial, armed funeral convoy.

  9. [CRIME] 9 sources
    Riohacha police operation kills ACSN leader and partner

    Forensic experts identified four people killed in a Riohacha police operation, including ACSN leader ‘Bendito Menor’ and his partner ‘La Bebecita’.

  10. [CRIME] 76 sources
    Bendito Menor: ACSN leader killed in Riohacha police operation

    Colombian police neutralized ACSN leader Naín Andrés Pérez Toncel, alias ‘Bendito Menor’, in a Riohacha operation that left four people dead, including his partner and two security guards.

  11. [POLITICS] 32 sources
    Colombia: President ends peace talks and launches military operations

    President Abelardo de la Espriella has ended peace talks with several Colombian armed groups and ordered increased military operations, including strikes in Guaviare and major drug seizures.

  12. [CRIME] 4 sources
    Guerrilla attacks escalate in Colombia's Huila and Norte de Santander

    Guerrilla groups FARC and ELN have launched a series of attacks in Colombia, including ambushes in Huila and drone strikes in Norte de Santander, prompting increased military explosive neutralization efforts.

  13. [CRIME] 4 sources
    Colombian military operations target major criminal groups

    Colombian military operations resulted in the capture of a high-ranking Clan del Golfo leader in Chocó and four members of the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra in Cesar.

  14. [CRIME] 3 sources
    Colombia military destroys drug lab and seizes 1.8 tons of cocaine

    The Colombian army destroyed a drug lab and seized 1.8 tons of cocaine in Mercaderes, an operation linked to the US-Colombia anti-drug alliance and attributed to the ELN rebel group.

  15. [CRIME] 15 sources
    Colombia military operations rescue hostage and neutralize criminal leaders

    Colombian security forces rescued a hostage held for 11 months by FARC dissidents, neutralized a Clan del Golfo leader in Antioquia, and seized 2.3 tons of cocaine in Nariño.

  16. [CRIME] 17 sources
    Colombian Army seizes weapons, dismantles drug labs in operations

    The Colombian Army neutralised Calarcá weapon caches in Guaviare, captured 18 FARC dissidents in Tumaco, accepted the surrender of a former guerrilla, and dismantled an ELN cocaine‑processing lab in Norte de S.

  17. [CRIME] 8 sources
    Armed clashes in Briceño, Antioquia force displacement of 78 people

    Clashes between Clan del Golfo and FARC dissident fronts in Briceño, Antioquia, using drones, have killed three and displaced 78 people, prompting emergency response.

  18. [CRIME] 2 sources
    Law enforcement dismantles clandestine labs in Dominican Republic and Colombia

    Police in the Dominican Republic shut down an illegal clerén lab and recovered a stolen motorcycle, while Colombian army forces seized a potassium permanganate facility tied to the Clan del Golfo, arresting two

  19. [CRIME] 3 sources
    Colombia's cocaine production triples as new armed groups drive surge

    Colombia's cocaine production has tripled in ten years, now driven by profit‑focused armed groups rather than FARC, raising concerns amid high European demand.

  20. [CRIME] 3 sources
    Colombian Army Destroys Cocaine Lab and Neutralizes Clan del Golfo Members in Separate Operations

    Colombian army destroyed a cocaine lab in Nariño and killed two Clan del Golfo suspects in Antioquia, seizing drugs, weapons and equipment.

  21. [CRIME] 7 sources
    Colombia launches bombings in Amalfi and confronts deadly mining protests in Segovia amid Clan del Golfo crackdown

    Colombia bombed a Clan del Golfo faction in Amalfi while a police raid on illegal gold mining in Segovia sparked deadly protests, reflecting the government's crackdown on the criminal group.

  22. [CRIME] 2 sources
    Colombia kills two Clan del Golfo members and seizes chemicals for 70 tons of cocaine

    Colombia's army and air force killed two suspected Clan del Golfo members in Antioquia, while police seized chemicals enough for 70 tons of cocaine on the Bogotá‑Villavicencio road, capturing four drivers.

  23. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Colombia confronts intimidation by Clan del Golfo and FARCs dissidents

    Colombia's Clan del Golfo threatened a Caracol Radio journalist, while FARCs dissidents in Nariño forced voters to pay a 30‑million‑peso tax for supporting De La Espriella.

  24. [CRIME] 2 sources
    FARC dissident group threatens miners in Colombia's Antioquia region

    FARC dissident militants in Antioquia issued a threatening pamphlet against miners, linking them to the Clan del Golfo, amid investigations and heightened security after a recent massacre.

  25. [CRIME] 5 sources
    Colombia captures Farc dissident leader ‘Mono Huevo’ in Meta

    Colombian forces captured Farc dissident leader ‘Mono Huevo’ in Meta on 23 June; locals briefly detained soldiers, delaying his helicopter evacuation.

  26. [CRIME] 2 sources
    Four farmers killed by FARC dissidents in Remedios, Antioquia

    FARC dissidents killed four farmers, including a husband‑wife pair, during a kidnapping in Remedios, Antioquia; bodies were found after a 24‑hour search.

  27. [CRIME] 2 sources
    FARC dissident front kills three and kidnaps four in Remedios, Antioquia

    FARC dissident Front Four attacked a farm in Remedios, Antioquia on 6 June 2026, killing three, kidnapping four, demanding a 60 million‑peso ransom, and sparking a search by authorities.

  28. [POLITICS] 3 sources
    Colombia raids FARCR dissident groups, captures “Mona” and seizes weapons

    Colombia’s security forces seized weapons and captured three FARCR dissidents, including female leader “Mona”, after a bombing ordered by President Petro in Guaviare.

Sources

360radio.com.co · abriendobrecha.tv · actualidad.rt.com · actualitatvalenciana.com · aktuality.sk · alcarajo.org · animalhousehospital.com · ariadna.elmundo.es · baoquangtri.vn · barrigaverde.net · bilder3.n-tv.de · blogs.unicamp.br · boyacadigital.com · bs-media.de · buenaventuraenlinea.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · cablenoticias.tv · cedarnews.net · chacodiapordia.com · colmundoradio.com.co · colombia.com · costanoticias.com · diariocorreo.pe · diariodecasanare.com · diariodelcauca.com.co · diariodelhuila.com · diariodelnorte.net · diariodelsur.com.co · diarioestrategia.cl · diariojuridico.com · diariopanorama.com · diarioriente.com · diariosanrafael.com.ar · el-carabobeno.com · elcallejero.co · elciudadanoweb.com · eldia.com.do · eldiario.com.co · elespectador.com · elexpediente.co · elfinanciero.com.mx · elfrente.com.co · eljaya.com · elmonterizo.com · elnorte.com.co · elnuevodia.com.co · elnuevodiario.com.do · elnuevosiglo.com.co

This summary has been updated 33 times: see revision history