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Colombia president deploys troops to Santa Marta after armed group attacks

Colombia president deploys troops to Santa Marta after armed group attacks

Force in Play

The ACSN's armed strike has ended, but heightened security remains in Santa Marta and along Route 90 to Tayrona National Park

September 25th, 2026: President chairs Security Council in Santa Marta

Overview

Updated Oct 6

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered the militarization of Santa Marta on September 22 after members of the Conquering Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada (ACSN) shot at shops and burned vehicles. The attacks were reprisals for a security operation that killed 13 group members, including a senior commander.

The ACSN's 48-hour armed strike has ended, but heightened security remains in Santa Marta, Ciénaga and along Route 90, the highway to Tayrona National Park. The president chaired a security council in the city on September 25 and announced more checkpoints, joint patrols and aerial surveillance. Authorities transferred 76 detainees with alleged ACSN ties to maximum-security prisons.

Why it matters

Santa Marta is a gateway to Tayrona National Park, a top tourist destination, and the confrontation tests whether the state can hold territory against a revived paramilitary group.

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Key Indicators

13
ACSN members killed in initial operation
Killed in a military operation that triggered the group's reprisal attacks.
1,500+
Police and military personnel deployed
More than 1,500 additional police and military personnel deployed across Santa Marta and Ciénaga.
76
Detainees transferred to maximum security
Detainees with alleged ACSN ties moved to maximum-security prisons outside the region.

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People Involved

Abelardo de la Espriella
Abelardo de la Espriella
President of Colombia
Chaired Security Council in Santa Marta; armed strike ended, heightened security remains
 Margarita Guerra
Margarita Guerra
Governor of Magdalena Department
Coordinating regional security response

Organizations Involved

Conquering Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada (ACSN)
Conquering Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra Nevada (ACSN)
Armed criminal group
48-hour armed strike ended; heightened security remains in Santa Marta and Ciénaga

A paramilitary successor group with roots in Colombia's demobilized AUC; it lives off cocaine trafficking and extortion in Magdalena, Cesar, and La Guajira.

Timeline

8 events Latest: September 25th, 2026 · 2 months ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. President chairs Security Council in Santa Marta

    Latest Government Meeting

    De la Espriella leads a security council in Santa Marta after the armed strike ends. He announces more ground checkpoints, joint patrols and aerial surveillance, and reports 72 arrests in the previous 24 hours.

  2. 76 detainees transferred to maximum-security prisons

    Government Action

    President de la Espriella orders the transfer of 76 detainees with alleged ACSN ties to maximum-security prisons outside the region, to prevent them from directing operations from prison.

  3. Santa Marta awakes under heavy security presence

    Deployment

    City streets show strong military and police presence; over 1,000 personnel deployed, with more en route. Many businesses remain closed.

  4. ACSN armed strike ends

    De-escalation

    The 48-hour armed strike declared by the ACSN ends. Businesses begin reopening under heavy military presence, though many stay closed out of fear.

  5. ACSN attacks businesses and vehicles in Santa Marta

    Violence

    Armed group members ride through the city, firing on open businesses; a truck and a bus are set ablaze. The group declares a 48-hour curfew.

  6. President orders militarization of Santa Marta

    Government Action

    President Abelardo de la Espriella announces the deployment of military troops to Santa Marta and reinforces security in Magdalena and La Guajira.

  7. President vows to fight ACSN 'narcoterrorists'

    Statement

    De la Espriella announces that two ACSN members (aliases 'Pati Liso' and '200') are now priority targets for the armed forces.

  8. Military operation kills ACSN second-in-command

    Security Operation

    Police and armed forces kill 13 ACSN members, including José Luis Pérez Villanueva, alias 'Cholo', in Quebrada del Sol, Guachaca, rural Santa Marta.

Scenarios

1

State stabilized, ACSN forced into retreat

Deadline passed (Oct 23, 2026)

Discussed by: Presidential statements; AFP reporting

The troop surge, combined with the killing of the group's second-in-command, forces the ACSN to abandon its armed strike and retreat to rural strongholds. The city returns to normal under heavy military presence, and the group shifts to hit-and-run attacks or negotiations.

2

Hit-and-run insurgency persists

Likely Resolves by Dec 22, 2026

Discussed by: Analysts in CNN en Español coverage, citing Norma Vera Salazar

The ACSN avoids direct confrontation with the military but continues extortion, targeted killings, and terror attacks. The group's structure, built on territorial and family networks, allows it to absorb the loss of a commander and adapt, leading to a prolonged low-intensity conflict in the region.

3

ACSN expands into new territories

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: AFP and Noticias RCN reporting on La Guajira operations

Pushed out of Santa Marta, the ACSN relocates its operations toward La Guajira, near the Venezuelan border, where it already has a presence. The group attempts to expand control over smuggling routes and new extortion networks, sparking conflict with rival groups.

4

ACSN retaliates for detainee transfers

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Noticias SIN reporting on the government's response

The transfer of 76 detainees with alleged ACSN ties to maximum-security prisons could provoke further attacks as the group tries to reassert control. The ACSN has responded to government pressure with armed strikes and violence before.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

July 2008

Operation Jaque (2008)

Colombian military intelligence staged a daring rescue operation, masquerading as an NGO to extract 15 high-value hostages, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, from FARC guerrillas. The operation was a major propaganda and tactical victory, showing that the state could reach high-value targets deep in guerrilla territory.

Then

The FARC lost a key bargaining chip and suffered a massive humiliation. The operation boosted international confidence in the state's military capabilities.

Now

It became a symbol of the state's recovery under the security policy of President Álvaro Uribe, undermining the FARC's strategic position in the years leading up to the 2016 peace deal.

Why this matters now

Like Operation Jaque, the killing of 'Cholo' is a precision intelligence-led strike against a high-value target. The current challenge is whether the state can convert this tactical victory into sustained territorial control, as it did in the run-up to the FARC peace process.

2003 to 2006

Demobilization of the AUC paramilitaries (2003–2006)

Under President Álvaro Uribe, the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a national paramilitary umbrella group, negotiated a demobilization with the government. Over 30,000 fighters turned in weapons, but many mid-level commanders and their networks never fully surrendered, leaving criminal structures in place.

Then

Homicide rates dropped in many urban centers, but the paramilitary structure fractured into successor groups that retained control over drug trafficking routes and extortion rackets.

Now

Groups like the ACSN, which claim paramilitary lineage through the AUC, are direct legacies of this incomplete demobilization. They operate as localized mafias rather than a unified political army.

Why this matters now

The ACSN is one of the groups that inherited the AUC's territory and illicit economies after demobilization. Understanding its structure helps explain why killing its leaders has not dissolved the organization in the past two decades.

Sources

(14)
+8
AFP Presidencia de Colombia Noticias RCN CNN en Español Infobae El Espectador teleSUR English Deep Arrival Colombia One Noticias SIN The Bogotá Post Infodefensa Winnipeg Free Press Presidencia de Colombia