Colombian Police Officer Killed in Casanare

Colombia Security

Gunmen shot dead a Colombian police patrolman and wounded a second officer in Hato Corozal, a town in the eastern plains department of Casanare, on the night of Wednesday 11 November 2026. President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered the security forces to find and capture those responsible.

Hato Corozal lies in the north of Casanare, close to the department of Arauca. The president was sworn in on 7 August 2026 and has promised that every attack on the security forces will get a forceful response.

What Happened in Hato Corozal

On the night of Wednesday 11 November, armed men attacked two police officers who were reportedly on a stop-and-search patrol. Patrolman Juan Sebastián Quintero Caldas died in the attack.

His colleague, Subintendente Marcelo Miranda Cordero, a police rank one step above patrolman, was wounded and taken for medical care. Casanare Governor César Ortiz said a woman bystander was also wounded and that her injuries were not life-threatening.

No suspect has been named so far. The police have said they are working to find those responsible.

What the President Said

In a public statement, President De la Espriella sent his solidarity to the families and to the National Police. He said he had ordered all operational, intelligence and criminal-investigation capabilities deployed to identify, pursue and capture those responsible.

He added that the attackers would not escape justice. He also said every attack on the security forces would receive a forceful response from the state.

A Run of Attacks in Colombia

The killing comes amid several recent attacks in Colombia. On 23 October 2026 a car bomb hit the San Pedro toll station in Villanueva, Casanare, and injured four toll-station employees.

Early on 11 November a grenade also went off outside the Cali offices of RCN, a major Colombian private broadcaster, as we reported in our coverage of the RCN attack. In early November a toll station in Cauca department was also hit, as we reported in our report on the Cauca toll attack.

What Is Not Known

Police have not named a suspect, and no armed group has claimed the attack. The motive has not been made public.

What It Means for You

For US readers with ties to Colombia, the case is a reminder that the security picture outside the big cities remains unsettled under the new government. No economic figure we track ties directly to this single attack, so we do not attach one.

Two checkpoints matter in the coming days: whether police name or arrest a suspect, and whether the government widens its operation in Casanare. Wider coverage is on our Colombia news page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in Hato Corozal?

Gunmen shot two police officers on the night of 11 November 2026, killing Patrolman Juan Sebastián Quintero Caldas and wounding a subintendente, a rank one step above patrolman. No suspect has been named.

What did President De la Espriella say?

He ordered all operational, intelligence and investigative capabilities deployed to identify and capture the attackers. He said every attack on the security forces would get a forceful response.

Where is Hato Corozal?

It is a town in northern Casanare, in Colombia’s eastern plains. It lies close to the department of Arauca.

Sources

National Police of Colombia and Presidency of Colombia, public statements on the attack in Hato Corozal, 11 and 12 November 2026. Photo: Lancero99, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.