Colombian Army Delivers New Blow To Gulf Clan Cartel, Killing Eight Operatives And Seizing Supplies

Colombian armed forces have delivered significant blows to the Gulf Clan Cartel, killing and arresting high-profile members, including commanders and close allies of Jobanis de Jesús Ávila, alias "Chiquito Malo," its current leader.

The National Army of Colombia shared a post on social media on Tuesday announcing that eight members of Colombia's largest cartel had died in clashes with security forces at the municipalities of Cáceres and Tarazá, in the Antioquia province.

During the operation military personnel also secured the arrest of two other Gulf Clan members and seized what they called an "abundant war material and supplies."

Colombian forces have recently escalated their operations against the country's top criminal organization, including the use of air strikes as of December.

More recently, in March, a secret operation conducted by Colombian armed forces led to the death of Santander Franco Jiménez, a key ringleader within the criminal group who was behind an alleged assassination attempt against President Petro on July 2024. Similarly, a few days later and in another air strike ordered by Petro, authorities confirmed the deaths of eight alleged cartel members as well as the seizure of more than a dozen firearms used by the organization.

An operation conducted on April 5 also shook the cartel's organizational structure as José Miguel Demoya Hernández, alias "Chirimoya" was killed during a clash with armed forces in the province of Córdoba.

As reported by local news outlets, "Chirimoya" was believed to be one of the closest allies of Jobanis de Jesús Ávila. "Chiquito Malo" assumed leadership of the organization following the arrest of Dairo Antonio Úsuga, alias "Otoniel," in October 2021.

According to El Colombiano, Demoya Hernández was killed during an operation that involved Colombian and U.S. agencies who responded to a tip in the municipality of La Apartada. In addition to five active arrest warrants in Colombia for the crimes of extortion, homicide, and drug trafficking, the U.S. government counted with a request for "Chirimoya's" arrest with extradition purposes.