Five people have been detained as authorities reinforce security after attacks, roadblocks and threats linked to the ACSN in Santa Marta.
Colombia has deployed military units to Santa Marta after a wave of violence attributed by authorities to the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), with five people detained in security operations in Santa Marta and nearby Riohacha.
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President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered the military deployment in the capital of Magdalena province and increased police patrols after attacks disrupted public transport, businesses and traffic along the Troncal del Caribe, a key highway connecting northern Colombia.
“I have ordered, as president of the Republic, that Santa Marta be militarized. At this moment, we have three criminals detained in Santa Marta and two in Riohacha, and we are going after the rest with the full force of the state,” De la Espriella said.
La situación en Santa Marta es compleja.
La ciudad cerrada al 80% por el grupo criminal conquistadores de La Sierra.
A pesar de anuncios del
Presidente no se ve una presencia alta de fuerza pública pic.twitter.com/P0JFKlme7O— Ariel Ávila (@ArielAnaliza) September 22, 2026
Text Reads: The situation in Santa Marta is complex. The city closed off by 80% by the criminal group Conquistadores de La Sierra. Despite announcements from the President, no high presence of public forces is seen.
The operations have so far resulted in three arrests in Santa Marta and two in Riohacha. Authorities said one of those detained was allegedly an ACSN member involved in manufacturing improvised explosives intended for attacks against civilian infrastructure and deployed troops.
The violence followed a military operation that killed the group’s second-in-command, known as “Cholo.” Authorities said the ACSN responded by imposing a 48-hour armed strike, during which public buses and trucks were burned, gunfire was reported at several locations in Santa Marta, and merchants were threatened and forced to close their businesses.
Roadblocks were also reported along the Troncal del Caribe, disrupting a strategic transportation route in northern Colombia.
Santa Marta Mayor Carlos Pinedo said police were maintaining security in urban areas while Army units were ensuring traffic could move along the Troncal del Caribe.
De la Espriella also patrolled the Cristo Rey neighborhood on Tuesday night alongside security forces, in a show of support for residents and the commercial sector.
Authorities said “Cholo,” who was killed in recent days, had a criminal record spanning more than 15 years and was accused of coordinating key drug-trafficking routes to Central America.
Following his death, De la Espriella identified Fredy Castillo Carrillo, known as “Pinocho” and described by authorities as the ACSN’s top leader and financier, as the next priority target for security forces.
“We are going to shield Santa Marta and defend it to show the criminals that when the state makes up its mind, it never loses. Any criminal who does not submit will be taken down as provided by law,” the president said.
¡A los bandidos se les responde con toda la fuerza del Estado!
Ante las amenazas y los actos de intimidación de las Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada contra comerciantes, transportadores y ciudadanos, ordené reforzar de inmediato la presencia militar y policial en… pic.twitter.com/diq4mByOe1
— Abelardo De La Espriella (@ABDELAESPRIELLA) September 22, 2026
Text Reads: To the bandits, we respond with the full force of the State!
In the face of the threats and acts of intimidation by the Conquistadoras Self-Defense Groups of the Sierra Nevada against merchants, transporters, and citizens, I ordered an immediate reinforcement of the military and police presence in Santa Marta.
We have already captured three alleged members of this structure in Santa Marta and two in Riohacha. And we’re going after all the rest.
The instruction to our Public Force is clear-cut: shield the region, fully recover territorial control, and employ all the legitimate capabilities of the State against those who persist in criminality, always within the framework of the Constitution and the law.
And I’m heading to Santa Marta. I will be personally in the territory to lead the Government’s actions, accompany our Public Force, and support the citizens who are today being threatened by these criminal structures.
No criminal group is going to impose its conditions on honest and hardworking people.
Citizens do not kneel before terror. The State does not either.
Stand firm for the homeland!
Long live Christ the King!
(A.D.L.E) 🇨🇴🐅
De la Espriella said criminal organizations including the ACSN, Los Pachenca and the Clan del Golfo would not “bring the Colombian people to their knees,” and reiterated that his administration would take a hard-line approach to organized crime in an effort to restore security in the Caribbean region.
From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.