The action directly impacts the illicit economies of the Clan del Golfo.
On Monday, the Colombian Armed Forces announced it destroyed 81 illegal mining operations in the San Isidro village in the Choco department, as part of Operation Ayacucho Plus.
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The operation included the destruction of 15 Brazilian dredges, 66 motors, and 88 water pumps, as well as the seizure of mercury, cell phones, and documentation related to illegal gold mining.
The Army stated that the action directly impacts the illicit economies of the Clan del Golfo, also known as the Gaitanista Army of Colombia (EGC), considered the largest criminal organization in the country.
According to military intelligence, the Clan del Golfo obtains part of its income from illegal mining in the Colombian Pacific region, in addition to drug trafficking, extortion, and armed territorial control.
Choco, a region with one of the greatest biodiversities in the world, faces serious environmental threats from illegal mining: mercury contamination of rivers, deforestation, and the loss of critical ecosystems.
The operation prevented the extraction and sale of large quantities of gold, which not only financed criminal organizations but also caused irreversible damage to local Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities.
Defense Minister Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez emphasized that these actions aim to neutralize criminal infrastructure and protect natural resources, reinforcing the state’s presence in territories historically affected by violence.
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Source: EFE
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