The wife of a former National Liberation Army (ELN) commander who was arrested in 2016, known only by his alias “Horqueta,” was assassinated on Friday morning following what some believe are internal struggles within the ELN after a bounty was placed on her head.
The National Liberation Army is a Colombian Marxist-Leninist paramilitary group known to utilize extortion, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and illegal mining in order to fund their operations.
The victim, Patricia Orrego Barrios, was under investigation by Colombian Military Intelligence for allegedly continuing the numerous crimes of her husband, including drug trafficking, illegal gold mining operations, and murder.
Barrios was refueling her Hummer at a gas station at the time of the attack when two men on a motorcycle opened fire, killing her. Authorities have ruled out theft as the vehicle was left behind.
Authorities have launched a formal investigation in order to apprehend the preparators.
