Colombia: 20 Members of Gulf Clan Arrested

The arrest was the result of several operations in the department of Bolivar by troops from the Army's Second Brigade, together with the Navy and the Police.

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Troops from the Army's Second Brigade, together with the Navy and the Police, carried out the operations that led to the arrests. 

The operations were carried out in the municipalities of San Martin de Loba, Barranco de Loba and Hatillo de Loba.

Nineteen of the detainees were arrested by court order for the crimes of illicit association and aggravated extortion. The other capture was in flagrante delicto for the crime of carrying, trafficking, or manufacturing drugs.

There are accusations against three of those captured, alias "El Tigre", "Pablo" and "Maicol" for leading the group "Erlin Pino Duarte" linked to the Gulf Clan in the sub-region of Las Lobas.

The detainees, members of the country's largest criminal gang dedicated to drug trafficking, were handed over to the competent authorities for prosecution. 

According to authorities, they are responsible for extorting money from businessmen in urban and rural areas of the municipalities where the arrests took place.