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By John P. Sullivon

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Tirrorist dttack fu, the FARC u'itlt a car bomb at the headquorten of Carucol Rodio. The atmck lefi 43 peopl,

Photo by: Julidn Ortega ,

Al ua ro uri bc, Presi de t t r li ( 1, i',i,,; b j. t

Photo b.1,: Centerfor Anerican i)rogrr:

include New Illegal Armed Groups

(NIAGs)a and neo-paramilitaries. Among

the gangs identified as BACNM are:

Aguilas Negras, Autodefensas Gaitanistas de

Colombia, Banda Criminal de Urabd, Los

Urabenos, Los Machos, Los Pahas, Renacer,

Nueud Gcneracidn, ioi R*trojos, ERPAC,

Cordillera, Cacique Pipintd, Grup\Marth Llanos, Los Neuados, and La

Ofcina de Enuigado.s

BACzuM are believed ro operate in 31

of Colombia's 32 departments. Estimates

of their strength range from a Nadonal

Police assessment of 3,870 members to an

Institute of Studies for Development and

Peace (INDEPAZ) assessment of 7,000.

Human fughts Watch places the estimate

higher at 10,000 members.6

The top six groups include: Zos

Urabefios, in rhe departments oflChocd, Boliuu Magdahna and Na

Santandcr; Los Rastrojos, in Naific

and Putumayo; and El Bloque Men

Libertadora deWchada, Renacer at

Machos, in Meta, Wchada and Gu,

In 2008 Bacrim presence was rr

in 259 municipalities, by 2009 in

in 2010 360, and in 2011 they w

found in 347 of Colombiat l,lOimunicipalities (a slighr decrease).

20ll Los Rastrojos susrained a pre

in 207 municipdides, while Zas {

were present in l8l, Agaihs Negr,

present in 88 municipaliries, l.o-,.

in 87, and ERPAC in 36 torvns. 1

situation is reportedly mosr criric

48 Tlrc Cotmter Terrorist - April/itAc'1 2a t 4

pioct.;; tlltic/t 22, 20A6.

Plttro b-1,: DEA Public Alfiir'

Antioqufa, Bolivar, Choc6, Sucre, and

Valie.s The ERPAC ofrcidly surrendered

to the government in 2011, but less rhan

half its members actually surrendered.

The remaining members conrinue rheir

operations as part ofnvo riral facrions: E/BloEte Meta and Libertadores de Wchada.')

BACRIM ACTIVITIESThe BACNM are involved in drug

trafficking, extortion, unaurhorized

mining, and smuggling contraband.

Horvever, rheir core competencv is

deeply rooted in narcotrafficking,

including gros,ing coca, processing coca

into cocaine, and moving cocaine to

international cartels. The BACRIM are

also involved in gambling, prostirurion,

unauthorized logging, extortion, arms

trafficking and fuel smuggling.r')

The BACRIM rvork rvith a range ofgangs and guerrilla groups to sustain the

drug trade. According to a BBC reporr,

rhe Colombian government believes thar,

"in some regions rhei-have joined ic:;.sri'ith lefi-rvir.rs ret,=-.

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in other areas the new gangs and the

guerrillas have clashed."r'

The various BACRIM bands also fight

among themselves for turf and conrrol

of illicir trade florvs. For example, bardes

benveen Los Rastrojos and Los Uabefios in

2006-2009 left 2,300 dead during that

three-1's21 timeframe. I r

Public corruption is also a key feature

of BACRIM acriviry. In order ro protect

their turfand business interests and

gain freedom oFmovement, BACRIM(like other organized crime entities)

suborn public officials through bribes

and corruption. Over 200 contemporary

Colombian anticorruption investigations

involve BACRIful connections with

officials. These officials include police,

securiry forces, municipal council

members, and ma1,ors. il

The corrosive presence of BACUivl-linked corruption is believed ro be

rhe lestro- of linkaees benveen public

olficials and rhe BAczuivlt paramilitary

rrc.ie;essor rhe AUC, The currenr polidcai

po*'<r of rhe BACzuM is assessed to be less

subsrantial than that of rhe AUC, but ithas the potential to gros,ifleft unchecked.

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TRANSNATIONALCONNECTIONS

BACRI\{ have spread their tentacles

beyonci Colombia's borders. This

expansion results from a dual desire to

enhance profir and to elude the reach

of the Coiombian government. This

expansion is also a consequence ofthe

global iiii;ir Corvs: the markets are global

and rrarsrarional actors gain competitive

advanuge. Lo: Rastojos are believed to be

allies of :he -\fexican Sinaloa Cartel rvhile

their rila.s Lo: Urubefios are linked to

Sinaloas .nem\-' Los Zetas.ri

Cenai::lr'. the expanding

transn;:lotal reach of \lexican cartels

and trar.::a::onal gangs llke luloru

Saluarn,:,:,; -\iS-i,l) have contributed to

this sear:h i: ::ci','rnarkets. BACzuM

leaders i:;r'c f.:l ;ound in Argenrina,

Bolivia. Hond'::;s. Panama, Peru, and

Venezueia. 1: .rii:r:sn. BACRIM are

believed ro b= i-:;;:--.'operating in Spain

and Irah-. u'hi:.' ::-=-.- :an earn three times

the profir rhe"';.r: ::i:ze liom uading

with Mexican iirt:,: n. Sp,tiiishfor /utniitr'r, i-, t Li.S., Eirrupt',tit titrl \\'?itr'rit Hetnispltti't'

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ADAPIIVE ACTORS ANDSTATE CHALLENGiS

Colombia has beer r"'o:s:::g :..'."'::i

demobilizing guerrilia srollrs. -i. :.::: .-,:

a "transitional j ustice" in i riarivt t,.',r ;tipeace, the Colombian Congress appro'. cja "Legal Framervork for Peace." As

part of that framervork, guerillas rvere

recognized as actors in armed conflict and

given lenient judicial treatment on their

surrender. Members of the BACRIM

are excluded from this approach (rvhich

.,''as applied to ERPAC in 2011 and the

-{UC in 2003 on the rationale that they

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a:,1-.c:l:a;: :c :j:. s:aie. Like Other"crir:::::;i i:rsu:Ee:ris." rhel seek to avoid

inrertirence tiom tl're government. rs

Ther- do so bv corrupting and co-opting

srate ofEcials and institutions. Co-opred

officials gii'e the BACRIM cover and help

them elude prosecution. The BACRIM

morphed from guerrilla groups,

becoming militarized criminal enterprises

(essentially, third generarion gangs),re

using violence as a means of seeking

control of narco enterprises and other

criminal activities (mainly extortion).

As larv professor David Attanasio

obsened, "BACRIM primarily affect

marginalized populations of limited

interest to state officials. The main areas

rvhere BACRIM have control are rural

areas suirable for the manufacturing

or transportation ofcocaine and

impoverished zones in cities."rolVhile many note the BACzuM,

iike other brigands, have a sparse

politicai agenda, the gangs do have a

Fucl . ,'

political dimensio:--. -: -\ledellfn the

Urrbefios claimec :;s;..nsibiliry for a

drop in murders in ::. ;iiermath of a

criminal pacr btn"'..: :hemselves and

the Ofcina d,' E,:::_a.:,;':,.:t The pact

and drop in n:u;j=: i:*..g 61srt political

dividends. es;c::.i..-.' :. rhe "Urabeios

like ro mair::;::: ::; f :erense they are

a polirical o::::::::::,^:: in the mold oftheir param:-l:f,::' l:.!i3cessors, capable ofreplacinq rh. s:.::. -,.ltn ir fails."r2

CONCr-uSiCN:LESSONS iOR SECURITY

The BACRII'1 s.e.: dominance in

criminal enre:prist. as *'ell as territorial

and social con::o, :r the areas they

operate, in orde: lc susrain organizational

viabiliry and profitabilin. In sustaining

viabiliry and proiitabilin, they challenge

the state. Trvo maior lessons emerge. First,

relying on vigilanres to combat rebeis

is fraught rvith danger. The vigilantes

(paramilitarie s or a u to defensa s) need

funds to operate and often garner them

from criminal enterprises. Second, armed

groups rarelv torallv abandon violence

rvhen the conflicr is over. Opportuniryfor rebels, criminai soldiers, and gangsters

is limited. Violence and profir (as u'ell

as plunder) often become rheir "reason

for being." This is a coniinuins concern

in Colombia, rvhere the governmenr

is negotiating a peace *'irh rhe FARC.

Like the AUC before them, many

FARC operatives ma1, find opporruniry

among the BACRIM. In addition, inMichoacin, lvfexico, u,e are also seeing

a rise of autodefensar (self-defense forces,

aka vigilantes) as the state appears

ineffective or insufficient for combatting

drug cartels. It may be a function of time

before that current crop ofvigilantes

mimics the BACRIM. o

ABOUI THE AUTHORMr. Sulliuan (PltD) is n seniorfellou

at Snnll lVar: Journal-El Centro and

an adjuitct rese,rrclrcr at tlrc Fundacidu

\lortex itt Bogotri, Colorubia. He serues

tts d lieute,Mrtt with the Los Angeles

Sheriffs Departntent.

ENDNOTESrFor an overvierv ofconverging

illicit nenvorls, see Cznuetgnce: IllicitNetuorhs and National Security in tbe Age

of Globalizatiaz, ed. Michael Miklaucic

and Jacqueline Brerveq National Defense

University Press, 2013.rErnesto Suirez G6mez. "BACRIM:

Heirs to Colombiat paramilitary

groups." Infosuryhoy, September I 8,

20 I 3. Available at: http://infosurhoy.

com/en-GB/articles/saii/features/

main/ 20 13 I 09/ I 8/feature-02.

r0 iln'), ltit estii)tdftd .570,000 oJ-cocaitte sit on thefigltr dech oJ'rltt gtrided-titissileJiigre USS Citr (FI:G 52) rtlier

bciitg seizerl itrriitg Operurioit t\,Itrrillo. Pltoto b1': tlltss Coituttuttic,ttiott Speciilist lst Class hu \Y/. Anrlcrsoir

Thr: Cotnrter Tcrrorist - April,/Moy 2014 53

jG6mez,2013.

jNIAG is the term prefered by

rhe International Crisis Group,

see "Dismantling Colombiat Neu,

Illegal Armed Groups: Lessons from

a Surrender." Latin America Report,

No4l, June 8,2012. Available at: http://rvrvrl,. crisisgroup. org/en/regions/latin-

america-caribbean/andes/colombia/04 1 -

dismandin g-colombias-new-illegal-

armed-gro upsJessons-from-a-surrender.

asPx.

S"BACRIMs, Colombiat "New'

Nightmare." LatAm-Threads, August

18, 2012. Available at: http://latam-

threads. blogsp or.coml 20 l2l 08/bacrims-

colombias-new-nightmare.hrml.6G6me2,2013.

-G6mez,2013.

t"Bandas criminales operan en 347

municipios." El Especrador. Nolember

17. 2011. A'ailable at: http:/ilss-.elespecrador.com/impreso/remadeldia.l

articulo-3 I I 652-tiandas-criminales-

operan-3 47 - municipios.e"ERPAC." InSight Crime. Available

at: htp://wvw.insightcrime. org/groups-

colombia/erpac.rolacAm-Threads, 20 I 2.I r"Profiles: Colombiat armed groups."

BBC Nervs, August 29,2013. Available

ar: hrtp://s"nrr'.bbc.co,ul</nervs/rvorld-

larin-america- I I 400950.:iGomez. 1013.I iJames Bargent. "lnvestigarions

Show Reach of BACRIM in Colombia."

InSight Crime, November 5,2013.Available at: http://wwwinsightcrime.

org/news-briefs/over-200-investi gations-

shorv-reach-of-bacrim-corruption-in-

colombia.raPaula Delgado-Kling. "Mexican

Cartels Making Territory in Colombia,

Allying rvith Bacrim and FARC." Talking

About Colombia, March 12,2013.Available at: hrtp://talkingaboutcolombia.

coml 20 13 I 03 I 12 I mexican-cartels-

marking- territory-in-colombia-allying-

with-bacrim-and-farc/.t5G6mez,2013.

r6Mariel Perez-Santiago. "Colombiat

BACRIM: Common Criminals orActors

in Armed Conflict?" InSight Crime,

July 23,2012. Available at: http://s,rvrr,. i nsightcrime.org/nervs-analysis/

colombias-bacrim-common-criminals-or-

actors-in-armed-conllict.: -David.

-\rranasio. "Emerginq \bices:

Drug Cartels. Bacrim. and Orher

lVlilitarized Criminal Organizations-A

Nerv Role for the Inter-American

System?" Opino Juris, August 29,

20 I 3. Available at: http://opiniojuris.

orgl 20 13 I 08 I 29 I emergtng-voices-drug-

cartels-bacrim-militarized-criminal-

organizations-new-role-inrer-american-

system/.rJohn P Sullivan. "From Drug

\fars to Criminal Insurgency: Mexican

Cartels, Criminal Enclaves and Criminal

Insurgency in Mexico and Central

America, and their Implications for

Global Securiry." Vortex'W'orking Paper

No. 6, Bogotd: Fundaci6n Vortex, March

20 12. Available at: http:/iwwwscivortex.

org/6FromDrug\ilarsCriminallnsurgen

cy.pdf.

'eJohn P Sullivan and Robert J.

Bunker. 'A Crucible of Conflict: Third

Generation Gang Studies Revisited."

Journal of Gang Research, 19.4 (2012):

I -20. Auailable at: http:l/scholarship.

c h rc m o n t. ed u/ cgu ;fa c 4 u b / I 4 0 /.roAttanasio,20l3.

2rCharles Parkinson, "Urabenos Claim

Responsibiliry for Drop in Medellin

Murders," htSight Crime, January13, 2014. Auailable at: hnp://wuw.

i ns igh tcri me. o rght e tus - b ri e$huu b e n os-

a n d- a fi lt o r i t i es -d i sp u te - crcd i t -fo r- drop - i t t -

ntedellin-rnurdets.22Parkinson, 2014.

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IDGA'5 5th Annual Border Management Southwestwill bring togetherall relevant stakeholders to discuss

themost pressing issues facing the DepartmentofHomeland Security, fiom efforts to build newpartnerships to modernizing security capabilities.

Attendees will learn:

. New technologies and applications for

border surveillance, safety and security. lntegration of homeland security

intelligence and information sharing. Border tactics, training and capabilities

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Customs and Border Protection

Policy makerl uniformed service leader, lawenforcementand industry partners will gather in

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Circle I l3 on Reader Service Card54 Tlrc Coutte r Te rrorist - April/ Mcy 201 A Circle I l5 on Reader Service Card