COLOMBIA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- The arrest Soldiers captured alias “Primo Gay” in Briceño, Antioquia, on Saturday, 14 November 2026.
- The suspect Néider Yesid Uñates López, aged 24, who authorities say led a unit in the armed group of Calarcá, a FARC dissident leader.
- The case He is wanted for aggravated homicide and conspiracy; no court has ruled.
- Reward The Defence Ministry had offered up to 640 million pesos (about US$194,000) for information.
- As of 14 November 2026, 17:30 GMT (12:30 p.m. US Eastern).
- Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.1 points (November 2026 edition).
Colombian soldiers have captured a 24-year-old suspect who authorities say led a unit of a FARC dissident group, survived a March raid and was reported to have turned on his own front.
Published Saturday, 14 November 2026, 12:30 p.m. ET · Source: Colombian Presidency, Ministry of Defence and Army statements, Fiscalía
Colombian soldiers captured the man known as alias “Primo Gay” on Saturday, 14 November 2026, in the village of Santa Ana in Briceño, a rural town in the north-western state of Antioquia. President Abelardo de la Espriella announced the arrest on X, and El Tiempo, a Bogotá daily, named the suspect as Néider Yesid Uñates López, aged 24.
The Gaula Militar, the Army’s anti-kidnapping and extortion unit, made the arrest with the Army’s Seventh Division, a regional command, the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía), La FM, a Colombian radio network, reported on 14 November. Authorities say he led a unit of what they call FARC “dissidents”, a breakaway group from the rebel army that signed a peace deal with the state in 2016.
What We Know
Defence Minister Jorge Mora called the arrest “a forceful blow against narcoterrorism in Antioquia”, La FM quoted him as saying on 14 November. Army commander José Bertulfo Soto said the capture radically weakens the group’s chain of command, according to the same report.
EFE, the Spanish news agency, reported on 14 November that the man was wanted for aggravated homicide and aggravated criminal conspiracy. Two 9 mm pistols, magazines and ammunition were seized, and a second member of the group, his security chief, was also detained, La FM reported.
The president described those held as members of a “narcoterrorist structure” and said the man was linked to the laying of minefields and to attacks on the security forces. These are the authorities’ allegations, and the suspect has not been convicted of anything.
The Faked Death and the Calarcá Link
El Tiempo reported on 14 November that the suspect survived an Army raid in March 2026 in the hamlet of La Palestina, also in Briceño, and then spread photos suggesting he had died. Minuto30, a Colombian news site, wrote that authorities rejected that version at the time; his escort and a woman described as his partner were captured in that raid.
Authorities link him to the Estado Mayor de Bloques y Frentes (EMBF), a FARC splinter coalition led by alias “Calarcá”, a dissident leader. Sources disagree on his unit: EFE and the Defence Minister, as quoted by La FM, say substructure 5, while El Tiempo and Minuto30 say Front 36.
El Tiempo said intelligence reports from August 2026 suggested he had betrayed Calarcá’s front after a quarrel with a commander known as “Chejo” and joined the Clan del Golfo, a large drug-trafficking organisation. Minuto30 noted that this was never officially confirmed.
Why It Matters
Northern Antioquia is a mountain corridor where armed groups fight over drug routes, extortion of shopkeepers, ranchers and miners, and illegal mining. El Tiempo said the arrest followed a sustained offensive by the Army’s Fourth Brigade, an Army unit, and the Gaula, and described him as one of the most wanted leaders in northern Antioquia.
Residents of Briceño and nearby towns are the people most affected, because authorities link him to forced displacement and killings of soldiers and police in the area. The Defence Ministry had raised the reward for him to up to 640 million pesos (about US$194,000 at 3,302 pesos per dollar on 14 November), El Tiempo reported.
What To Watch
A judge is expected to rule on his custody; no hearing date had been announced. The Defence Ministry and the military leadership were also expected to give the official details at a news conference, El Tiempo said.
What Is Not Known
The exact hour of the arrest, the formal charges filed by the Fiscalía and the suspect’s own account were not public when we published. Whether he really betrayed Calarcá, and which unit he led, remain unconfirmed.
What It Means for You
Most visitors to Antioquia go to Medellín, the state capital, and we found no announcement of any change to travel conditions after the arrest. Anyone planning to visit the rural north should check the current advice from their own government.
Connected Coverage
Read our Colombia news hub and our earlier reports on the Guaviare air strike on a camp tied to Calarcá. See also Calarcá-linked attacks on soldiers before the election.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is alias Primo Gay?
Authorities identify him as Néider Yesid Uñates López, aged 24, accused of leading a unit of an armed group in northern Antioquia. He is a suspect, and no court has ruled on the allegations.
Where and when was he captured?
Soldiers captured him on Saturday, 14 November 2026, in the village of Santa Ana in Briceño, Antioquia, with the Army, police and prosecutors involved.
Who is Calarcá?
Alias “Calarcá” is a dissident leader who heads the Estado Mayor de Bloques y Frentes, a FARC splinter coalition. Reports say Primo Gay belonged to a unit under his command.
Did he really fake his death?
El Tiempo reported that he spread photos suggesting he had died after an Army raid in March 2026, and authorities rejected that version. Details of his motive were not confirmed.
Sources: Presidency of Colombia (President De la Espriella, post on X, 14 November 2026); Ministry of Defence and Army statements as quoted by La FM (https://www.lafm.com.co/orden-publico/gaula-militar-captura-alias-primo-gay-frente-36-calarca-antioquia-417223); EFE via Infobae (https://www.infobae.com/america/agencias/2026/11/14/detienen-a-alias-primo-gay-lider-de-una-disidencia-de-las-farc-en-el-noroeste-de-colombia/); El Tiempo, 14 November 2026 (https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/medellin/de-adolescente-en-el-eln-a-disidente-y-narcoparamilitar-el-prontuario-de-alias-primo-gay-quien-habia-fingido-su-muerte-y-traiciono-a-calarca-3601093); Minuto30, 14 November 2026 (https://www.minuto30.com/capturado-primo-gay-uno-de-los-cabecillas-mas-buscados-de-antioquia/1730504/). Exchange rate: 3,302.49 pesos per US dollar, 14 November 2026.
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