Colombian National Police have revealed new details about the operation that ended with the death of Naín Andrés Pérez Toncel, better known as ‘Bendito Menor,’ the leader of a paramilitary-style criminal group called the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra (ACSN). Three other top members of the organization also died in the raid, which took place in Riohacha, a coastal city in Colombia’s Guajira region near the Caribbean.
According to police sources, the operation—codenamed ‘Centinela de la Patria’ (‘Sentinel of the Homeland’)—was the result of more than a year of intelligence work by a six-person investigative team. Pérez Toncel was wanted on an Interpol Red Notice for homicide, kidnapping, extortion, and criminal conspiracy charges.
Investigators used a clever ruse to flush out their target: a day before the raid, false reports claiming Pérez Toncel had already been killed in a clash with a rival armed group began circulating among journalists. The trick worked. The wanted man appeared on his own communication channels to deny the rumors, giving authorities valuable clues about his whereabouts. Sources say the strategy involved support from unnamed US agencies.
A human informant later confirmed he was hiding in a specific building in Riohacha that was already under surveillance. That tip triggered the final phase of the mission. Two helicopters carrying 16 commandos and six investigators left Santa Marta roughly an hour before midnight, landing at a distance from the target location so troops could approach on foot and preserve the element of surprise.
Read the full investigation at El Tiempo for more details on the raid.
Source: La Glock y los detalles de la operación que cerró el cerco sobre alias Bendito Menor en Riohacha (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Sgt. Elyssa Quesada.