Venezuelan Army Neutralizes Criminal Operation in Apure State
Following reports on Sunday, March 21 about armed clashes on the border between Colombia and Venezuela, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) confirmed this Monday, March 22, a military operation against armed criminal groups from Colombia, in the state of Apure, Venezuela, near the town of La Victoria.
Through a statement, the FANB detailed that in the development of operation Bolivarian Shield 2021 there were “clashes with irregular Colombian armed groups in the La Coromoto sector, Rafael Urdaneta parish, in the border state of Apure.”
La FANB estará siempre lista para cumplir su deber constitucional, proteger al pueblo venezolano y defender nuestra soberanía. Lamentamos la pérdida de 2 valientes y patriotas oficiales del Ejército Bolivariano que no dudaron en defender la Patria. ¡Su muerte no quedará impune! https://t.co/pylgVbRr9o
— Vladimir Padrino L. (@vladimirpadrino) March 22, 2021
The Venezuelan army also added in the statement that in the operation “one of the leaders, known by the alias ‘El Nando,’ was neutralized,” and 32 outlaws were captured. The Venezuelan army also “destroyed six camps and seized weapons, ammunition, explosives, war supplies, vehicles, and drugs.”
Major Edward Ramón Corobo, of the Special Forces Battalion, and First Lieutenant Yonathan Miguel Duarte, commander of the Second Company of the Caribbean Battalion, lost their lives in the confrontation. Additionally, several FANB soldiers were injured.
RELATED CONTENT: Venezuela Denounces Terrorist Attack on PDVSA Facilities in Monagas State
It was announced that the military units will continue to “carry out search and pursuit operations in the area,” in compliance with the order issued by President Nicolás Maduro of “zero tolerance against these types of criminal groups” from Colombia.
The Army statement also recalled the “unavoidable commitment to continue fighting transnational crimes of paramilitarism, drug trafficking, and any other that intends to be carried out in our territory.”
On Friday March 19, a criminal organization of Cota 905 in Caracas, whose leader uses the alias ‘El Coqui,’ armed with dozens of rifles, tried to attack a post of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) in the Venezuelan capital. According to journalists, this group tried to seize an anti-aircraft battery from the military garrison and, failing to do so, killed four of its gang members.
On Saturday March 20, the Minister of Petroleum and President of PDVSA, Tareck El Aissami, reported a terrorist attack against a gas pipeline in the town of El Tejero, in the north of the state of Monagas, east of Venezuela.
Featured image: Members of the FANB (Photo: AVN).
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
