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Kidnapping and escape of French Foreign Legion corporal

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-08 00:34 UTC → 2026-09-09 05:26 UTC · added removed

On August 6, 2026, José Olger Melo Charry, a Colombian-born corporal serving in the French Foreign Legion, was intercepted at an illegal checkpoint in the Nariño department of southwestern Colombia. Melo Charry was on authorized leave to visit family when he was taken near Puerto Remolino while traveling toward Cumbitara. He had arrived in the country only the day before his abduction. Initially, Colombian authorities suspected dissidents of the FARC, specifically the Franco Benavides structure associated with Ivan Mordisco, were responsible for the abduction. While the French Ministry of Defense monitored the situation, it noted that Melo Charry holds Colombian nationality. The French Ministry of the Armed Forces further clarified that while he does not hold French nationality, he possesses a residence permit for mainland France. By late August, the EMC guerrilla group, a major FARC dissident faction, claimed responsibility for the capture. The group rejected the term ‘kidnapping,’ instead stating that Melo Charry is being held as a ‘prisoner of war’ and is in ‘perfect health.’ The EMC reported that the incident occurred during military operations in the Cumbitara municipality. On September 7, reports emerged that 3, Melo Charry had escaped executed an escape plan by requesting to be taken aside to use the restroom. Despite having his hands bound, he managed to overpower a guard and seize a rifle, subsequently jumping into the Patía River to use the current to evade his captors. After spending four days navigating the dense vegetation and rugged terrain of the Western Cordillera, the 35-year-old soldier managed to evade the dissidents and reach a police sub-station in El Ejido, Policarpa, on the night of September 5. He was subsequently airlifted from El Ejido to Pasto, where he remains under medical observation and is accompanied by his family. Specialized kidnapping response units (GAULA) and the technical investigation corps are currently investigating the circumstances of his detention and escape. No ransom demands had been reported by his family during his detention.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-09 05:26 UTC Kidnapping and escape of French Foreign Legion corporal
  2. 2026-09-08 00:34 UTC Kidnapping and escape of French Foreign Legion corporal
  3. 2026-09-07 15:32 UTC Kidnapping and escape of French Foreign Legion corporal
  4. 2026-09-07 11:12 UTC Kidnapping and escape of French Foreign Legion corporal
  5. 2026-08-31 04:34 UTC Kidnapping of French Foreign Legion corporal in Colombia

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