Beltrán argues that drug trafficking in Catatumbo and clashes with dissident groups are a part of a U.S. intelligence plan. He highlights connections between international criminal organizations (like the Albanian mafia) and local gangs, warning that the conflict aims to weaken the social fabric in Arauca and project aggression against Venezuela.
By: La Tabla/Data Journalism Platform 22 OCT 2025
Pablo Beltrán, the second-in-command of the National Liberation Army (ELN), provided insights on the narcotrafficking situation in the Catatumbo region and the confrontations with armed groups that he claims have been fueled by U.S. intelligence. (Check video below).
In his account, Beltrán connects the FARCs dissidents, the EPL —known as Los Pelusos— and transnational criminal structures to a regional destabilization plan.
Richard and the Coca Business in Catatumbo
Beltrán stated that after the demobilization of FARC, a man identified as Richard came from Guaviare to reorganize the coca business in Catatumbo. According to him, production skyrocketed from “50 to 500” with support from the Albanian mafia, which he accuses of operating under CIA coordination.
The ELN leader assured that this network not only exports cocaine but also traffics weapons: “The last shipment was a thousand rifles,” he claimed. He also mentioned links with Venezuelan opponents, the criminal group Tren de Aragua, and local gangs in Cúcuta, involved in operations called AK-47.
For Beltrán, Richard isn’t an heir to the insurgent tradition, but “a tool of the CIA to wage a war through these gangs on the border.”
Confrontation with ‘Dissidents’ and Armed Gangs
The commander explained that clashes in Arauca, Bichada, and Guainía arose when these groups attempted to reintroduce coca cultivation in communities that had chosen eradication. According to Beltrán, the ELN opposed the local populations accepting money or seeds from the dissidents, leading to confrontations.
“Since they can’t do anything to the ELN, they are killing and threatening social leaders,” he denounced, warning that the real danger lies in destroying the social fabric in Arauca.
Beltrán also mentioned that alias Richard Suárez is known to lead groups like the former FARC Front 33 and the EPL, whom he accuses of operating with external stimuli.
U.S. Strategic Interests
In conclusion, Beltrán asserted that the presence of U.S. military bases in Colombia serves a geopolitical interest: to control the continent and secure strategic resources.
He highlighted two main objectives:
– Venezuelan oil, considered the world’s largest reserve.
– The minerals of the Orinoco Mining Arc and Guiana Shield, which, according to him, “are worth more than Venezuelan oil.”
In this context, he stated that both the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela and the ELN in Colombia are seen as obstacles to these interests, which is why they are declared “military target number one.”
“This is the proxy war we face,” he concluded.