DefenceTalkColombia’s Navy put on a show of force at the weekend in a town whose population is at the mercy of two warring gangs. The “Shottas” and “Spartanos” gangs have been fighting for months over control of Buenaventura’s drug trafficking trade, and other illegal activities such as micro-trafficking, extortion and kidnappings. But the military has […]https://www.defencetalk.com/navy-taking-on-gangs-in-colombias-biggest-port-79345/

DefenceTalkColombia and the United States announced on Monday a nuclear submarine was taking part for the first time in joint military exercises in the Caribbean Sea as regional tensions mount. Earlier this month, Colombia accused Russia of “foreign interference” on its border with Venezuela where two left-wing guerrilla groups have been fighting deadly battles for […]https://www.defencetalk.com/colombia-us-announce-joint-exercises-with-nuclear-submarine-78186/

DefenceTalkAt least 23 dissidents of the former FARC guerrilla group were killed during an operation by the Colombian armed forces along the Venezuelan border, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. The dissidents “died during military operations” carried out in the northern border department of Arauca, a narcotrafficking corridor that has seen fierce fighting between armed groups […]https://www.defencetalk.com/at-least-23-farc-dissidents-killed-in-colombia-military-operation-78109/

DefenceTalkTwo Venezuelan military personnel were killed and 32 Colombian “insurgents” captured in fighting on the border between the two countries, Venezuela’s Armed Forces said on Monday. Venezuela’s military had clashed with an armed group near the border with Colombia on Sunday. The Armed Forces said there had been “clashes with irregular armed Colombian groups” in […]

DefenceTalkCARACAS: Two Americans were detained in Venezuela on Monday on suspicion of plotting to topple President Nicolas Maduro’s government, which has accused US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido of bankrolling the scheme. The arrests came a day after the government said it foiled an “invasion” from the sea, killing eight assailants and capturing two others. Maduro […]https://www.defencetalk.com/venezuela-arrests-two-americans-for-failed-invasion-75396/

Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and 40 personnel from U.S. Army South will participate in an airborne assault exercise in Colombia. During the Jan. 23-29 exercise, U.S. and Colombian paratroopers will conduct an airborne training insertion from C-130 Hercules aircraft of both nations, followed by tactical exercises designed to […]

DefenceTalkColombian troops killed 11 dissidents of the disbanded FARC guerrilla group, officials said Monday, as a fight looms over the future of a 2016 peace agreement in runoff presidential elections. The military operation took place Sunday in the south of the country as Colombians voted in the first round of presidential elections that left a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/11-farc-dissidents-killed-in-colombian-military-operation-71704/

DefenceTalkColombia’s defense ministry said 10 National Liberation Army guerrillas were killed early Tuesday in what would be the rebel group’s biggest battlefield loss since peace talks were suspended in January. The defense ministry said a combined army and air force operation targeted a rebel column in the northwestern department of Antioquia that it said was […]https://www.defencetalk.com/10-rebels-killed-in-colombia-military-operation-official-71550/

DefenceTalkLeftist rebels with the National Liberation Army (ELN) claimed responsibility Saturday for this week’s attack on a Colombian army helicopter in which eight troops were killed. The incident took place on Monday, in the northern department of Norte de Santander. “On June 22. … at 12:30 pm, in … Teorama, Norte de Santander, ELN units […]https://www.defencetalk.com/colombias-eln-rebels-claim-to-down-army-helicopter-64730/

DefenceTalkA court ordered a Cuba-bound Chinese ship loaded with undeclared weapons to sail for Havana on Tuesday, saying the arms could not be unloaded and might pose a safety threat. Da Dan Xia, which has been held since last month, was loaded with undeclared military equipment including about 100 tonnes of gunpowder, 99 projectile bases […]https://www.defencetalk.com/colombia-orders-chinese-ship-with-weapons-to-sail-for-cuba-63936/