The Urabeños, one of Colombia’s dominant drug groups, are seemingly ramping up operations along the Colombia-Venezuela border – a gambit likely to foment more violence in an already dangerous region.
By InSight Crime – Juan Diego Posada
Sep 2, 2021
The Urabeños, also known as the Gulf Clan (Clan del Golfo), have reportedly struck an alliance with the Rastrojos, which control much of the drugs, weapons and people moving along trochas, remote trails that criss-cross the border. This partnership seemingly aims to fend off the inexorable advance of the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN) at the border. However, it also gave the Urabeños a foothold inside Venezuela to shelter and hide from Colombian operations against them.
The group’s incursion, though, has sparked fighting with the ELN along these border trails and around the Colombian city of Cúcuta. On August 30, the Urabeños were blamed for killing three men in Puerto León, the 68th multiple-homicide in 2021 near Cúcuta.
But their Venezuelan backstop has not allowed them to escape consequences. Colombian forces have continued to target the group with consistent military operations, as they had in recent years. Now, they are specifically going after Urabeños members trying to control the cross-border trails. In July, five gang members were arrested and several others killed along the border after being linked to weapons trafficking and extortion.
In April, four more members of the Urabeños were arrested, La Opinión reported, following extortion allegations in a town located near Colombia’s border with Venezuela.
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Read More: InSight Crime – The Urabeños’ Venezuela gamble may be failing
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