Security update
October 21: a drone attack wounds 6 police in Cesar, and bombs on a road outside Popayán
Here's what happened since the last update, and what each one means.
1SignificantA drone attack wounds 6 police in Pelaya, Cesar
Early on Wednesday, October 21, explosives dropped from drones hit the police station in Pelaya, in southern Cesar. The Cesar government said 6 police were wounded, 2 of them with complications. Cesar's government secretary, Eduardo Esquivel, said 4 grenades hit the station and called it "a new terrorist attack" on Pelaya, the second of its kind there. The Cesar government is offering up to 150 million pesos for information on those responsible. The authorities haven't named a group. The Ombudsman's Office (Defensoría del Pueblo) counted 121 drone attacks on the security forces from January to May 2026, against 49 in the same months of 2025.
What it meansThe same station has now been hit twice. Whoever flies these drones can still reach the town, and the reward shows the authorities are still looking for them.
2Significant6 cylinder bombs on the road between El Tambo and Popayán
The Army says FARC dissidents loyal to Iván Mordisco, including the Carlos Patiño structure according to military intelligence, placed 6 cylinder bombs on the road between El Tambo and Popayán, in Cauca, to attack the soldiers who patrol the area. El País reported on October 21 that residents of the 9 de Marzo neighborhood had warned about them, and that residents dug up 2 of the 6 themselves with shovels. Police explosives experts went to neutralize them. The Army says it deactivated 5 explosive devices and seized 1 ton of explosives in Cauca in the past 2 weeks.
What it means for usThese bombs were meant for soldiers, and they were put on a public road that farm families use to reach Popayán. In Cauca, these devices end up on the same roads ordinary people drive.
3Significant26 arrested in Colombia, Puerto Rico and the US in "Operation Castillo"
Semana reported on October 21 that "Operation Castillo" (Operación Castillo), run by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Fiscalía's investigators (CTI) and the Army, led to 26 arrests: 7 in Colombia (in Bogotá, Barranquilla, La Guajira and Yopal), 17 in Puerto Rico, 1 in New York and 1 in Miami. All 7 arrested in Colombia are wanted for extradition by the United States. Army sources told Semana the network used Puerto Rico, New York and Miami as its hubs and laundered money in Colombia, and that undercover agents made controlled deliveries of more than US$670,000. The main coordinator is known as "Gallo" or "Guillo."
What it meansThe network ran from Colombia to Puerto Rico and the US mainland, and the operation hit both ends of it at once. The 7 caught here face trial in the United States once they're extradited.
4NotableRobbers fire on a bus on the Panamericana near Rosas, Cauca
Semana reported on October 21 that 4 criminals tried to stop a bus on the Panamericana highway near the Esmita river, on the stretch between Rosas and the El Mango toll, to rob the passengers. The driver didn't stop, and they fired at the bus. No one was reported injured. The authorities are investigating whether the gang is linked to the FARC dissidents.
What it means for usOn October 15, a bus crashed between Timbío and Rosas after a robbery attempt, killing 5. The armored vehicles announced for the Panamericana on October 20 are still being bought. Anyone taking a bus between Popayán and Pasto should know robbers are targeting buses on this stretch.
5NotableA mega-prison for 11,500 prisoners under review in Atlántico
Semana reported on October 21 that a technical team at the Presidency is reviewing a mega-prison called "El Tiestal" in Candelaria, Atlántico, for about 11,500 prisoners, to be run by the prison service (Inpec). The project was halted in 2019, when the Atlántico government bought the land. The president posted on Instagram that he's "working on the structuring and consolidation of the mega-prison construction project in Colombia." Residents oppose it. No cost or start date was given.
What it meansIt's a plan under review, with no cost and no start date yet. The people who live nearby already oppose it, so the first fight will be over where it goes.
6NotableDocuments show a surgeon let into a prison to see alias "Pichi"
Infobae reported on October 21, citing documents revealed by Noticias RCN, that the La Dorada prison in Caldas authorized medical staff to see Óscar Camargo Ríos, alias "Pichi," known as the "Pablo Escobar of Bucaramanga" and serving a 52-year sentence. A May 25, 2026 authorization, signed by the prison's director, was for a dermatology assessment, with an inventory that includes 14 syringes of hyaluronic acid and botulinum toxin. A second one, about a month later, let in a surgeon and 3 nursing assistants. The documents don't say what was done, and no response from Inpec was reported.
What it meansIf the documents are what they look like, a man sentenced to 52 years got what looks like cosmetic treatment inside a prison, signed off by its own director. Both authorizations are from May and June 2026, before this government took office on August 7.
7NotableThe man who threatened the president's family is jailed
On October 21, a judge sent Juan Carlos Buriticá Suárez, 21, to jail. He's the man arrested in Pereira over the death threat against the president's wife and children. Semana says he must answer for drug trafficking or possession, threats against human-rights defenders and public servants, and insult and slander. The president posted the timeline: the threat came at 10:12 AM on October 18, the complaint was filed at 12:23 PM, and the search and arrest were at 11:57 PM on October 19. He says the authorities found "a significant quantity of marijuana."
What it meansFrom the threat to a jail order took 3 days. That shows how fast the Fiscalía and the Police can move on a threat when they make it a priority, and it's the speed critics in the replies are asking for in their own cases.
On social media
His most-seen post since the last update was the timeline of the threat to his family, at 4:33 PM on October 21. By about 6:35 PM it had 240,900 views, 8,300 likes and 608 replies. Most replies were supportive, but the most-liked ones were about other people. The top reply (554 likes) asked him to act against a commentator: "Mr. President, take action against @LevyRincon, who keeps defaming the First Lady and insulting her, calling her a rat and a thief." A doubter (67 likes): "That looks staged, poor kid." A critic (32 likes): "Your wife's threat was solved in 1 day, while MILLIONS of Colombians have waited YEARS for similar and even worse cases. All it shows the country is how little you care about us." A supporter (0 likes): "That's how justice should respond to any threatened family in Colombia, in Cúcuta or Tumaco, not only the President's." New themes were two-speed justice and jokes about the few bags of marijuana in the photo. His 12:56 PM video on extortion networks had 39,800 views and 3,200 likes. As of about 6:35 PM, he hadn't posted about the Pelaya attack or the bombs in Cauca. 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.
