HomeNewsBriefHas Colombia's Next Narco Boss Emerged?
BRIEF

Has Colombia's Next Narco Boss Emerged?

COLOMBIA / 2 NOV 2015 BY ARRON DAUGHERTY EN

A new report stating that a shadowy drug trafficker, known as "Puntilla Pachon," has become Colombia's latest narco boss brings into question whether criminal figureheads are still needed to regulate the underworld. 

According to Semana, Oscar Mauricio Pachon Rozo, alias "Puntilla Pachon," has inherited the criminal empires of two former associates who were recently killed during security operations, Victor Ramon Navarro Serrano, alias "Megateo," and Martin Farfan Diaz Gonzalez, alias "Pijarbey."

Megateo controlled coca crops, drug laboratories and trafficking routes across a large swath of Colombia's northeastern Norte de Santander department. Pijarbey ran a drug trafficking group primarily based in the central department of Meta and the eastern department of Vichada. By inheriting these assets and combining them with his own territory in eastern Colombia, Puntilla has become the major drug lord in that part of the country, reported Semana.   

Puntilla has spent decades in the underworld, working for the powerful Medellin and Cali Cartels before joining kingpin Daniel "El Loco" Barrera. Following Barrera's extradition to the United States in 2013, Puntilla reportedly formed an alliance with Megateo, Pijarbey and neo-paramilitary organization the Urabeños. Puntilla was also reportedly the successor to Barrera's drug trafficking empire in Colombia's Eastern Plains region. 

According to Semana, Puntilla has benefited from the Colombian government's ongoing hunt for Urabeños head Dario Antonio Usuga, alias "Otoniel." With the government's resources focused on the Urabeños' headquarters in the northwest region of Uraba, Puntilla's group has been able to operate more freely, the report stated.

InSight Crime Analysis

While a single report is not conclusive proof that Puntilla has become Eastern Colombia's top boss, it does highlight the shifting role of big-name criminals in the drug trade. Given Colombia's current criminal dynamics, it is unclear if there is still a need for figureheads to bring a measure of stability to the underworld. 

Due to its criminal nature, drug trafficking has historically required a small number of bosses to exercise control and regulate the industry. Drug lords such as Pablo Escobar, who ran the Medellin Cartel, and later the Oficina de Envigado's leader, Diego Fernando Murillo, alias "Don Berna," helped guide the Colombian underworld during their respective eras of dominance.   

SEE ALSO: Colombia News and Profiles

But Barrera's capture in 2012 was heralded as the end of high-profile capos in Colombia. Since then, groups like the Urabeños -- now the country's biggest drug trafficking organization -- have adopted a decentralized leadership structure, rather than the hierarchical system used by their predecessors. It is also worth noting that the Colombian government has become adept at capturing and killing high-profile drug traffickers, making anonymity and discretion increasingly valuable assets for survival in the underworld. 

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

COLOMBIA / 2 MAY 2023

Colombia's security policy has made clear the country's intention to tackle the ELN. But to do so, it's relying on…

COLOMBIA / 5 JUL 2022

Up to seven commanders belonging to the dissident FARC have been killed in Colombia and Venezuela in the last year.

COCAINE / 17 FEB 2023

Wilder Emilio Sánchez Farfán, alias “Gato Farfán” helped develop Ecuador's credentials as a drug trafficking hub.

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.