Drug trafficking has gone down in northern Colombia, causing fragmented criminal groups to turn to extortion for funding.
According to the national police database (SIEDCO), extortion reports in Atlántico, Colombia, went up from 199 in 2019 to 1,335 in 2023, marking a 570% increase. Most cases are in Barranquilla. The national police has sent hundreds of officers to help confront this issue.
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The increase in extortion mostly impacts merchants, shopkeepers, and transport workers, according to the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation. report by the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation. The criminal groups involved include the Gaitanistas, a major drug trafficking group in Colombia, as well as smaller organizations. Gulf Clan, one of Colombia’s dominant drug trafficking groups, as well as smaller organizations. organizations such as the Costeños, the Pepes, and the Rastrojos Costeños.
Atlántico experienced the highest increase in extortion complaints in the country over the last four years. Other northern Colombian departments like Bolivar, La Guajira, and Magdalena, as well as departments with significant criminal presence such as Norte de Santander and Valle del Cauca, had relatively stable extortion complaints.
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The rise in extortion in Atlántico is due to a decrease in cocaine trafficking during the COVID-19 pandemic and the fragmentation of criminal groups.
The decrease in cocaine trafficking during the pandemic resulted in smaller local criminal groups losing a significant portion of their revenues as logistical operators for the Gulf Clan.
“They needed to replace those national revenues with local revenues,” said Luis Fernando Trejos, a professor at the University of the North.
“When the quarantines were relaxed … local criminal organizations began to compete for the remaining economies,” he added.
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Meanwhile, these local criminal groups also began to fragment.
“From the Costeños, come the Rastrojos Costeños, and then the Pepes. It’s no longer just one organization extorting, now others are competing for control of that income,” said Trejos.
Unlike large-scale drug trafficking, which requires an extensive network, smaller criminal groups can easily carry out extortion schemes, often using technology to reach and rob their victims.
“You don’t need huge numbers and territorial control. Just a small group — even two people on a motorcycle — who can pressure [victims] for the extortion payment, shoot at a business, or simply leave a note,” said Trejos.
Featured image: National police reinforcements in formation in Barranquilla. Credit: La Vibrante