HomeNewsBriefColombia Busts Alleged FARC Arms Dealer
BRIEF

Colombia Busts Alleged FARC Arms Dealer

ARMS TRAFFICKING / 19 JUL 2012 BY CHRISTOPHER LOOFT EN

A suspected arms trafficker whose network is accused of supplying 500 rifles to the FARC rebels has been arrested in Colombia.

Carlos Enrique Pombo was arrested in Cali in a joint operation between Colombia and US law enforcement, and Interpol. US authorities accuse Pombo's network of smuggling some 500 rifles into Colombia for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group, reported El Tiempo.

The accused trafficker has been operating since 2003, investigators said, when his brother and two others were arrested in Miami accepting a shipment of 50 rifles, Caracol reported.

El Tiempo reported that the US Embassy in Bogota said Pombo employed people to buy the arms in parts and then smuggle them into Colombia.

A Florida court has requested Pombo's extradition; following his arrest he was transferred to Bogota as part of the extradition process.

InSight Crime Analysis

The arrest could be a significant blow to the FARC, which has lost what appears to be a major trafficker of arms.

However, the rebels get their weapons from a diverse range of sources. The group has also been reported to obtain arms from regional military stockpiles, as evidenced when the Colombian Army seized a rifle from a guerrilla in 2004 which had Peruvian Air Force markings. An inquiry found that it was part of a group of 165 that were supposedly destroyed, but in fact went missing from a military base in suspicious circumstances. The US has also accused high-level members of the Venezuela Armed Forces of carrying out a drugs-for-guns trade with the rebels.

More recently, Colombian police said the group smuggles military-grade explosives into the country from Ecuador, where there is an ample supply of explosives used for mining.

In addition, the FARC is reported to run clandestine arms factories where guerrillas assemble weapons.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

COCA / 22 AUG 2022

Narco ambulances in Colombia aren't new, but a recent rash of discoveries suggests that they are back in vogue with…

COCAINE / 21 NOV 2022

Feuding guerrilla factions for control of Colombia’s coca-rich southern state of Putumayo continue to claim dozens of lives.

ARMS TRAFFICKING / 24 AUG 2022

A new rule in the United States seeks to stem the flow of ghost guns, bought in parts online and…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.