Colombia Criminal Groups Face Deportation Order and New Offensive

Colombia · SECURITY

President orders migrant crackdown as security operations expand, while a watchdog demands clearer dam rules.

President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered operations against irregular migration, El País reported on 24 August 2026. Migrants who commit crimes or lack regular status face deportation first. He also reported intensified offensive actions against Colombia criminal groups, with 1,574 captures and 10 extraditions so far.

President Orders Migrant Crackdown and Deportations

The president directed the operations at a security meeting in Atlántico, El País reported on 24 August 2026. The intervention will start with immigrants committing crimes, then those without regular status, and authorities will deport them after procedures.

‘I will not accept illegal immigrants who are committing criminal activities; they leave and are deported,’ he said in Barranquilla. He called it a political decision and said he assumes it.

The policy targets individual criminal conduct and migration status, not membership in specific armed groups. El País clarifies that deportations target those breaking the law or lacking documents, not named criminal groups.

Separately, a leader of the group ‘La Inmaculada’ was deported from Panama to Colombia, El País reported on 22 August 2026. This confirms a deportation involving a criminal group, but it was Panama sending the individual to Colombia.

Security Balance Shows Strong Numbers

The president cited 1,574 captures, 10 extraditions and 23,642 kilos of drugs seized since he took office. This includes 12,296 kilos of cocaine, according to El País’s report on 24 August 2026.

These numbers reflect intensified actions against Colombia criminal groups since he took office on 7 August 2026. NTN24 noted on 20 August that in just 13 days, the military destroyed about three cocaine laboratories.

The destroyed labs were located in the departments of Putumayo and Norte de Santander, according to NTN24. This shows a broad offensive against criminal structures across the country.

In Barranquilla he ratified what he called a categorical, non-negotiable order. Criminals will be fought ‘as what they are: terrorists,’ he said, without special treatment by the state.

Specific Operations Target Named Groups

El País reported specific captures in operations against Colombia criminal groups on 24 August 2026. Eleven members of the 53rd front of Segunda Marquetalia were captured, and two Clan del Golfo members were caught in flagrante.

These captures occurred in Fundación, Magdalena, for the Clan del Golfo members, and other operations took place in Puerto Gaitán, Meta. A laboratory for processing coca paste was destroyed in La Macarena.

The laboratory destruction included inputs and crops used by these criminal structures, according to the president’s statement. This shows a direct effort to dismantle drug production infrastructure.

These operations are part of a broader strategy to combat organized crime, not just a single deportation campaign. The government frames them as decisive blows against criminal networks.

Watchdog Presses for Hidroituango Rules

The Procuraduría, Colombia’s inspector general, pressed licensing agency ANLA for a decision on Hidroituango on 24 August 2026. This follows a formal request from 24 June 2026, after Hidroituango filed a proposal on 12 June.

The proposal seeks to temporarily modify Resolution No. 2306 of 2019 due to the forecast El Niño phenomenon. The Procuraduría demands updated information on the process and planned measures from ANLA.

ANLA has five working days to report the evaluation’s status and explain its technical and legal criteria. This includes contingency measures, environmental management, and monitoring plans.

The plan involves managing outflow flows, ensuring the Cauca River’s ecological flow, and monitoring the dam and rock mass stability daily. The Procuraduría wants a clear timeline given the imminent El Niño.

El Niño Risks Threaten Energy Security

The strict application of Resolution 2306 of 2019 could limit the reservoir’s storage capacity during low water periods, the Procuraduría noted. This creates risks for the reservoir’s operation, water management, and national energy security.

The plan would raise the reservoir to 420 meters between October and November 2026, El Tiempo reported. This must be analyzed against climate forecasts and environmental restrictions.

ANLA issued Resolution 002230 on 20 August 2026, authorizing Hidroituango to apply transitory changes to its operating rule. This allows adaptive management under low hydrology conditions to maintain system reliability, according to Caracol Radio.

The authorization permits operating under Resolution 1891 of 2009 rules, without the condition added by Resolution 2306 of 2019. This is a preventive measure against the forecast El Niño 2026–2027, reported El Heraldo on 21 August.

Hidroituango Can Store More Water

ANLA’s authorization allows Hidroituango to raise the reservoir from elevation 408 to 420, storing additional water from the Cauca River. Infobae reported on 22 August 2026 that this could store 390 million cubic meters more.

This extra reserve, according to EPM, equals the energy that Medellín consumes in about 15 days. This quantifies the energy security stakes in a potential ‘Super Niño’ scenario.

Ideam projects a 69% probability that El Niño will reach ‘very strong’ intensity between October and December 2026. Conditions could persist until the first quarter of 2027, according to Infobae.

The authorization has conditions, including a maximum duration until 31 July 2027 and ecological flow minima for the Cauca River. It terminates once Ideam declares El Niño over or the river recovers for at least 30 days.

Procuraduría Seeks Clear Justification

Despite ANLA’s resolution, the Procuraduría still demands detailed criteria, contingency plans, and monitoring obligations from the agency. This suggests the oversight body wants clear, formally documented rules beyond the existence of the resolution.

The Procuraduría’s statement on 24 August 2026 asks ANLA to explain the technical, legal, and environmental grounds for its decision. It also requires a timeline for adopting a final decision, considering the imminent El Niño.

This includes specific measures for managing outflow flows, maintaining the Cauca River’s ecological flow, and controlling the speed and volume of impoundment. Monitoring must be permanent, daily, and real-time for the dam and rock mass.

The watchdog’s pressure reflects the high stakes of balancing energy security with environmental protection during a climate event. Clear rules are essential to manage risks associated with reduced water inflows.

Deportations and Offensive Remain Separate

No single published document bundles the deportations and the offensive against Colombia criminal groups into one ‘deportation offensive’ targeting named organizations. El País frames deportations in terms of criminal activity and migration status, not organizational membership.

The security operations and migration operations are related strands of the same president’s policy but are reported separately. The government presents them as broader security and migration measures.

The deportation orders focus on immigrants committing crimes or lacking regular status. They do not name members of specific armed groups, a key distinction for the policy’s scope.

The offensive against criminal groups is distinct from the deportation order. Both sit inside the president’s security agenda, but deportations do not target named organizations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• www.procuraduria.gov.co
• www.eltiempo.com
• www.elpais.com.co
• caracol.com.co
• www.infobae.com
• www.elheraldo.co

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