Colombian police kill senior ‘Los Pachenca’ commander in Magdalena operation
Colombian authorities report that José Luis Pérez Villanueva, known as ‘Cholo’ or ‘Comando 25’, was killed in a police operation against the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada in Magdalena. The raid left seven alleged members dead, three captured and weapons seized.
Colombian police say they have killed a senior commander of the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), also known as Los Pachenca, in an operation in Magdalena department.
According to the official report, José Luis Pérez Villanueva, known by the aliases ‘Cholo’ and ‘Comando 25’, died during the police action. Authorities identified him as the second‑in‑command of the organisation, subordinate to a leader known as ‘Pinocho’, and as a key financial operator.
The same operation left seven members of the group dead and three captured, according to the police account. Officers also seized weapons and other material, though initial reports did not provide a full inventory.
Security services view the ACSN/Los Pachenca as a major armed structure in the Sierra Nevada region, with involvement in multiple criminal economies. Removing a commander described as both number two in the hierarchy and a financial head is a significant blow to the group’s leadership.
For communities in and around the Sierra Nevada, such operations can bring short‑term disruption and changes in local power dynamics. Previous experiences in Colombia suggest that the death of a single commander rarely ends a group’s presence, but can trigger internal realignments or disputes over succession.
The next signals to watch will be whether authorities identify a successor to Pérez Villanueva inside Los Pachenca, any reported shifts in violence patterns in Magdalena, and whether Colombian forces follow up with further operations against the group’s remaining leadership.
Sources
- OSINT