Key Facts
—Operation. Colombia’s Army, with the Conat counter-narcotics and transnational threats command, disabled illegal gold-dredging equipment in the Maracaibo district of Puerto Caicedo, Putumayo, according to El Tiempo on 11 October.
—Equipment. The Army listed four production units, four dredges, five classifiers, seven industrial engines and 178 metres of hose.
—Value. The Army put the equipment at more than 200 million pesos (about US$63,000) and the output at about 6,000 grams of gold a month, worth 2,123 million pesos (about US$670,000).
—Peru. In July, Peruvian prosecutors and the Navy stopped two dredges on the Peruvian side of the Putumayo River.
—US link. The head of US Southern Command visited Iquitos, Peru, on 14 October to discuss cooperation against illegal mining and drug trafficking.
Colombia’s Army says it disabled illegal gold-dredging equipment on the Putumayo River that it ties to Comandos de Frontera, an armed group that the Army describes as a dissident offshoot of the former FARC rebels. The operation was reported on 11 October, and the US military’s top commander for the region visited Peru’s Amazon border area on 14 October.
For US readers, the story shows how illegal gold mining feeds armed groups along the Colombia-Peru border, and why Washington is working with Peru against it. The Army’s account has not been independently verified, and no one has been convicted.
What the Army Says It Did
According to El Tiempo, soldiers working with the Conat command struck the dredging site in the Maracaibo district of Puerto Caicedo, in Colombia’s Putumayo department. The Army listed four production units, four dredges, five classifiers, seven industrial engines and 178 metres of hose.
It valued the equipment at more than 200 million pesos (about US$63,000) at about 3,170 pesos per US$ (RT). The Army estimated the site produced about 6,000 grams of gold a month, worth 2,123 million pesos (about US$670,000).
Military intelligence told El Tiempo that the operation hurt the finances of Comandos de Frontera and named a man known as “Nicky” or “Nacho” as its finance chief. These are the Army’s allegations, and the man has not been convicted.
The Peruvian Side of the River
On 4 July 2026, Peru’s environmental prosecutor in Loreto and the Navy stopped two artisanal dredges on the Putumayo River, according to El Oriente. Prosecutors opened proceedings against two Colombian citizens for alleged illegal mining.
The river forms part of the border between Colombia and Peru. Our Colombia coverage and Peru coverage follow the region.
US Military Visit to Iquitos
General Francis L. Donovan, head of US Southern Command, visited Iquitos on 14 October with Peru’s Defence Minister Rafael Belaúnde Llosa and US Ambassador Bernie Navarro, according to Infobae. They discussed intelligence sharing against illegal mining and drug trafficking in the Putumayo basin and in Peru’s VRAEM coca region.
At the UN conference on transnational organised crime in Vienna, which opened on 19 October, Amazon indigenous leader Galois Flores of the Wampis nation said mercury from gold mining is polluting rivers that people use for fishing and drinking water. The statement is hers and not an official finding.
What It Means for You
Illegal gold can enter global supply chains, so US companies that buy gold or lend to miners face questions about sourcing. The US military‘s visit shows that Washington treats the Amazon border as part of its drug and crime agenda.
Travellers should avoid remote river areas of the Putumayo, where armed groups operate. They should also check official travel advisories before any trip.
What Is Not Known
The date of the Army operation is not stated in the report, which ran on 11 October. The identities of the two Colombians held in Peru have not been published.
We have not seen independent confirmation of the Army’s figures on output or of its claims about the armed group’s finances. It is also not clear whether the dredging has resumed at either site.
Sources
El Tiempo · El Oriente · Infobae Peru · Diario Uno · Infobae (UN conference) · RT market data
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Colombia’s Army do in Putumayo?
The Army says it disabled illegal gold-dredging equipment in the Maracaibo district of Puerto Caicedo. El Tiempo reported the operation on 11 October.
Who is Comandos de Frontera?
The Army describes it as an armed group descended from FARC dissidents that operates along the Putumayo River. The group’s role in this site comes from Army statements and has not been tested in court.
What is Peru doing on its side of the river?
On 4 July, Peru’s environmental prosecutor and the Navy stopped two dredges on the Putumayo River. Proceedings were opened against two Colombian citizens.
Why did the US military visit Iquitos?
The head of US Southern Command met Peru’s defence minister and the US ambassador on 14 October. They discussed cooperation against illegal mining and drug trafficking.