Security update
October 10: an army sergeant killed on the Pan-American and a Gulf Clan leader wanted in Texas
Here's what happened since the last update, and what each one means.
1An army sergeant killed in an attack on the Pan-American Highway near Popayán
On the night of Friday, October 9, at about 7:40 PM, armed men attacked army and police units on the Pan-American Highway between Popayán and Timbío, in Cauca, at a spot called Mi Bohío. There was an exchange of fire. Sergeant First Class Ángel David Ordóñez Ortiz, of the army's Gaula Militar, was killed, and 2 police officers were wounded, the Military Forces said. Cauca's governor, Octavio Guzmán, says 3 suspects were captured. El Tiempo's first reports say at least 7 people may have been detained. No group has been officially named. Semana says the attackers were suspected FARC dissidents.
What it means for usAfter 5 explosives cases in the southwest this week in which no one was killed, this attack killed a soldier. It happened after dark on the main highway south out of Popayán, and traffic on that stretch was restricted afterward. If you travel through Cauca, drive in daylight and check the road before you go.
2"Niño Potro," a Gulf Clan leader wanted in Texas, captured in Nuquí
On October 9, the Prosecutor's Office (Fiscalía) and the National Police announced the capture of Yovannys Chaverra Vargas, alias "Niño Potro," on a street in Nuquí, Chocó. The Fiscalía calls him a leader of the Efrén Vargas Gutiérrez substructure of the Gulf Clan (Clan del Golfo). A federal court in the Eastern District of Texas wants him for drug trafficking. The request says he coordinated cocaine shipments in small boats and speedboats from the coasts of Urabá and the Chocó Darién to Central America, on the way to the United States.
What it meansHe's now held for extradition to the United States. The Gulf Clan moves its cocaine by sea from Urabá, the Darién and the Chocó coast, and this capture takes out one of the men accused of running those shipments.
3Drone attacks on the security forces hit a record
The Military Forces' General Command counted 176 attacks with explosive drones on the security forces from January 1 to October 1, 2026, Infobae reported on October 10, citing Blu Radio. That's more than the 158 in all of 2025 and the 108 in 2024. The military blames 90 on the ELN, 72 on Iván Mordisco's dissidents and 13 on groups linked to Calarcá. This year, drones have killed 9 members of the security forces and wounded 203, against 127 wounded in all of 2025. A different security-forces tally, reported by El Tiempo in September, counted 292 drone events by armed groups by September 15, against 277 in all of 2025.
What it meansWith 3 months left, 2026 already has the most drone attacks on record. The wounded are 60% more than all of last year, in 9 months.
4400 soldiers and anti-drone protection for police stations in Huila
On October 9, after a security council in Neiva, Defense Minister Jorge Eduardo Mora López said a Rapid Deployment Battalion of more than 400 soldiers will return to Huila in November. A national plan reinforces more than 300 police stations with fencing, anti-drone equipment and other improvements, 8 to 11 of them in Huila, chosen by the governor and the mayors. General Erik Rodríguez Aparicio, commander of the Military Forces, said he has ordered an intensified offensive against the structures of Calarcá and Mordisco.
What it meansThe government is fortifying police stations against drones, the weapon behind the record in item 3. The soldiers don't arrive until November.
52 Ecuadorians lured with a fake mining deal, kidnapped and rescued in Putumayo
On Tuesday, September 29, 2 Ecuadorian men traveled to Pasto for what they were told was a meeting about investing in mining. They were taken to a rural area of Santiago, Putumayo, and their families were asked for 50,000 dollars. One got free and reported it at the El Encano police post on September 30; the other was found chained to a tree. Both had knife wounds. On October 10, the police's anti-kidnapping unit (Gaula) announced the rescue and the capture of 3 people in Ipiales, charged with extortive kidnapping, aggravated theft and attempted murder.
What it means for usThis is the second kidnapping of foreigners made public in 3 days, after the Mexican businessman kidnapped when he landed at Cali's airport. The bait was a business offer. If someone you don't know invites you to Colombia to talk about an investment, check who they are before you travel, and tell someone where you're going.
6"María José," accused of luring teenagers into the dissidents in Guaviare, captured
Infobae reported on October 10 that the National Police captured a woman known as alias "María José," part of the support network of the FARC dissidents' Armando Ríos structure in San José del Guaviare and Calamar. The Fiscalía charged her with illegal recruitment of minors and with conspiracy to commit crimes together with terrorism. Investigators say she contacted teenagers through social media and deceived them, and they link her to one minor forced into the group in December 2025, who later died in fighting between armed groups. They also link her to cylinder bombs placed near army bases and a boat fitted with 3 launch ramps to attack the army battalion in Calamar.
What it meansThe groups use social media to reach children. One teenager taken this way in December 2025 later died in the fighting.
On social media
As of 9 AM on October 10, the president hadn't posted about the killing at Mi Bohío on X. On October 9, besides his morning roundup, he shared his office's news of 9 more extraditions signed, 119 in his first 60 days: 43,000 views and 2,200 likes. He also posted about ports in Cartagena and Colombia's seat on the UN Security Council. His post of solidarity with Panama after the earthquake has grown to 204,000 views and 10,900 likes. The Military Forces' post naming the sergeant had 162 likes and 9 replies, all mourning, no critics. One: "Rest in peace, hero forever. Now carry out more operations at every level. This can't be left like this, because a first sergeant isn't made overnight." (2 likes) Another: "Son, honor and glory. Thank you for giving your life. May your soul rest in peace." This comes from the top replies on X, not a poll.
I support most of this. But it doesn't go far enough. These groups use any space they're given to reset and grow. They need to be crushed, not contained.