Colombian security forces have dismantled three illegal gold-mining operations in the department of Tolima, in an operation President Abelardo De La Espriella says has dealt a major financial blow to FARC dissident groups. The offensive, known as Operation Pijaos XI, targeted mining sites in the municipalities of Chaparral and Coyaima that authorities linked to the financing network of the Frente Gerónimo Galeano. According to the president’s November 11 announcement, troops destroyed six excavators and two industrial engines used in the illegal operations. De La Espriella reported an estimated 231 million Colombian pesos in direct damage to criminal finances, while calculating that the disrupted gold production had generated approximately 1.543 billion pesos in monthly revenue for the targeted groups. Video released alongside the announcement shows security personnel surveying mining areas, aerial views of the sites and heavy machinery engulfed in flames following the operation. The government presented the intervention as part of its broader campaign to disrupt illegal economies allegedly supporting armed groups across the country.

Beyond the security operation, the government emphasized the environmental damage associated with illegal mining and its potential impact on the Saldaña River, a major waterway in the region. De La Espriella said the operation was intended not only to weaken the financial resources of armed groups but also to protect Colombia’s natural resources from the consequences of unauthorized gold extraction. The president declared that his administration would not allow criminal organizations to continue destroying rivers and exploiting the country’s wealth to finance terrorism. The operation follows another recent intervention, Operation Pijaos X, in nearby Ataco, where authorities reported destroying 12 excavators and 10 makeshift mining structures linked to illegal gold production. Together, the operations reflect an intensified effort by Colombian authorities to target the financial networks behind illegal mining in southern Tolima. However, the latest official announcement did not report arrests or provide independently verified details about the full scale of the mining network affected by Pijaos XI.