In August of last year, the Colombian National Police launched the “Plan Cazador”, a national strategy to curb the illegal firearms and drug trade in Colombia. 

The plan was launched on the first day of President Gustavo Petro’s government. Petro had run a campaign promoting a more rehabilitative and justice-oriented approach to policing and the war on drugs. 

Operations are concentrated in Cali and surrounding areas in the Valle del Cauca. They are run in partnership with the Cali Metrolitan Police. 

The National Police are given warrants by federal judges to arrest specific individuals accused of participating in the illegal weapons trade. Many cases, including the case of “Ratón”, who was arrested near Cali last Thursday, also involve accusations of drug trafficking, violent assault or homicide, and human trafficking. 

The suspects often hide in “narcoencomiendas”, protected communities built and inhabited by drug gangs. 

On February 2nd, the National Police presented its findings after 6 months carrying out the plan. So far, 36 people with leadership ties to drug trafficking organisations have been arrested in Cali and surrounding municipalities. 

It is unknown whether the raids conducted within Plan Cazador have been linked to any police or civilian deaths. Hundreds of weapons and over 120 kilos of marijuana have been seized, all valued at millions of dollars. 

This week, Plan Cazador was expanded to Bucaramanga, a large city in the Northeast closer to the Venezuelan border. Now, the Colombian National Police collaborates with the Bucaramanga Metropolitan Police to capture weapons traders in the centre and peripheries of the city. 

In Bucaramanga specifically, the goal has been to “diminish the number of homicides, assaults, and personal injuries.” 

The Barranquilla Metropolitan Police is the latest police service included in the plan. On February 9th, 124 arrests were made and 43 firearms were seized through Plan Cazador in Barranquilla, the country’s largest coastal city. 

The Plan is therefore expanding, with success in arresting targets and seizing illegal materials. 

Calls for due process into National Police activities have been made by non-governmental organizations and activist groups at local, state, and federal levels.

The National Police initiative was the first put in place by President Petro. 

• The Plan Cazador could be expanded to collaborate with other municipal police services, like in Bucaramanga, Barranquilla, and Cali. 

• Drug crop eradication targets are expected in the upcoming weeks. 

• Plan Cazador shows that President Petro is taking a more traditional approach to policing, despite promises to the contrary, focusing on drug interdiction and dismantling of weapons smuggling networks.