Colombian authorities on Thursday arrested fifteen alleged members of the country’s most notorious neo-paramilitary organization as well as three policemen who supposedly aided and abetted the purported criminals.
According to local media, the National Police had been investigating and preparing this operation for more than four months and after careful planning, 10 raids took place across northwestern Colombia in the city of Santa Marta and the municipalities of Valledupar, Fundacion, and Maicao.
In addition to the capture of 15 alleged members of “Los Urabeños,” three police officers who had supposedly been tipping off the neo-paramilitaries were similarly apprehended. The three cops reportedly had been contacting the families of the neo-paramilitaries rather than directly contacting the Los Urabeños members themselves in order to avoid phone tracking. The three policemen worked in the departments of Guajira, Cesar, and Magdalena for more than six years.
Peruvian and Colombian police forces on Wednesday captured one of the top leaders of Los Urabeños, dealing yet another blow to the neo-paramilitary group.
PROFILE: Urabeños
