Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino announced the neutralization of three camps near the border with Colombia from which crime groups carried out illegal activities.
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Padrino said that the operation was carried out by the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) as part of the Bolivarian Shield 2020 - Centaur of the Plains operation.
"The FANB will not rest in its war on all armed groups that attempt to use our sacred territory for drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes to disturb national peace,” he said.
He referred to the fact that many of these illegal operations are derived from the “degenerate process of violence that Colombia is experiencing.”
Previously, Lopez denounced that there is almost no presence of Colombian authorities on the border with Venezuela, where "one can only see drug traffickers and paramilitaries extorting fellow countrymen," and promoting illegal crossings.
FANB announced that they arrested five terrorists and seized several items such as five assault rifles, three automatic pistols, abundant cartridges of different calibers, camouflaged uniforms, audiovisual and telephone equipment, and a variety of combat equipment.
"The military units deployed in the area continue to track and pursue other members of the aforementioned criminal groups,” FANB said.
During the operation, First Lieutenant Augusto David Linares, Lieutenant Miguel Angel Mora García, First Sergeant Major Gabriel Alexander Perez Silva, and Second Sergeant Reiber David Chirinos Reyes died. Also, another four FANB officials were injured.
"They died fulfilling the sacred oath to defend the homeland. In honor of their heroism, President Nicolas Maduro ordered their post-mortem promotion."