President Abelardo de la Espriella means business when it comes to his war against the cartels.Colombia's new president, known by the nickname of ‘El Tigre’, was voted in on a law and order ticket and so far his actions in fighting the cartels are seemingly paying dividends — not just in Colombia but in Washington too.Recently, he arrived at the Barranquilla police command around the early hours of the morning as 587 police officers and soldiers raided 50 locations across the Caribbean port city and its suburbs in Operation Blindaje 360.
A few days earlier, domestic Colombian news outlets had widely publicized a recording intercepted by Colombian police of "Keko", the alleged leader of a gang called "Los del Freseo" boasting that de la Espirella had nothing on him."The Tiger's got nothing.Let him come out, and we'll put lead in him," Keko allegedly said on the recording.Then, before dawn, Colombia's president had tracked him down and was face to face with him, all caught on tape.According to a video released by his presidential office, El Tigre told Keko the gang leader was "a tough guy on the phone… but the look of the fear on his face matched that of his many victims".
The sweep ended with 72 arrests.ANTI-CARTEL HARDLINER CHANNELS TRUMP IN BID TO END COLOMBIA'S LEFTIST ERA IN PIVOTAL ELECTIONColombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella delivers a speech during the change of command ceremony at the Jose Maria Cordova Military School in Bogota on August 26, 2026.Colombia's new hard-right government announced on August 25, 2026, plans to classify guerrilla fighters, drug traffickers and other criminal groups as "terrorists." (Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP via Getty Images)The theatrics played to a large audience who long argued that former leftist Gustavo Petros’s policy of pursuing engagement with drug traffickers and through conversation and peace talks had left Colombia more vulnerable to organized crime and further articulation between Colombian and Venezuela...