A criminal organization known as ‘Los Pachenca’—formally called the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN)—has exploded in size and reach over the past six years, according to a new report from the Fundación Ideas para la Paz (FIP), a Colombian think tank that studies armed conflict.
The group, run by a leader nicknamed ‘Bendito Menor’ and his partner ‘La Bebecita,’ had roughly 120 members in 2019. By 2025, Colombia’s armed forces counted 594 members—an almost 400% increase—split between 334 armed fighters and 260 people in support networks or local militias. Independent sources cited in the report say the real number could be as high as 800 to 1,000.
Operating out of northern Colombia’s La Guajira region, near the Caribbean coast, the group has built its power on tourism and drug trafficking. It reportedly extorts about 95% of tourism operators—hotels, transport companies, and merchants—between the coastal city of Santa Marta, the popular Tayrona National Park, and the beach town of Palomino. That racket alone brings in between 6 billion and 7 billion Colombian pesos a month, or roughly $1.5 million to $1.75 million.
The report also notes that 35 tons of cocaine were seized in the Magdalena and La Guajira departments in 2025, most of it within the group’s territory. Peace talks with the previous Colombian government, meanwhile, never got off the ground.
Curious about how this extortion network really operates? Read the full original report at El Tiempo.
Source: Los datos del accionar delictivo de 'Los Pachenca', grupo que lideraban 'Bendito Menor' y su pareja 'La Bebecita' (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Jeff Barnes from Cedar Rapids, United States of America.