# Colombia sends jets and Black Hawks over Santa Marta after bus burnings and paramilitary threats

*Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 4:07 AM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-23T04:07:26.818Z (2h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Latin America
**Importance**: 7/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/18580.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: Colombia deployed five Kfir fighter jets and eight Black Hawk Arpía helicopters over Santa Marta and the Sierra Nevada after bus burnings, shootings and threats tied to the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada.

Colombia has turned to a show of air power over one of its main tourist cities after a surge of violence tied to a paramilitary-criminal group.

Public reports on 23 September said a strong military deployment was underway over Santa Marta and the nearby Sierra Nevada. The operation involves five Kfir fighter jets and eight Black Hawk Arpía helicopters flying over the area in response to threats from the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN).

Those threats followed a security operation in Santa Marta, in the Magdalena department, that left seven ACSN members dead. Among the dead, according to the reporting, was a figure known by the alias “Cholo,” described as a significant member of the organization.

The troop and aircraft movements came against a backdrop of burned trucks and buses, gunfire and written or verbal threats directed at local merchants in Santa Marta, as described in separate international coverage from Primicias. That violence has disrupted daily life in a city that depends heavily on tourism and services.

In response, President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered more police and military personnel into the area, aiming to reinforce state control. The combination of fighter jets and armed helicopters over the coastal city and surrounding mountains signals that the government is prepared to use significant force to confront ACSN in the region.

The next signs to watch will be whether the wave of bus burnings, shootings and threats subsides, whether authorities report new arrests or operations against ACSN in Santa Marta and the Sierra Nevada, and how long the high-profile aerial patrols remain in place over the city.