President Gustavo Petro has intensified his operations against Iván Mordisco, Colombia's most wanted criminal. But after years of military offensives and false reports of his death, the guerrilla leader continues to elude authorities.
On March 26, the armed forces reported a bomb attack in the department of Vaupés, southeastern Colombia, targeting Néstor Gregorio Vera, alias “Iván Mordisco,” leader of one of the main dissident factions of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC). His group is called Estado Mayor Central (Estado Mayor Central – EMC).
“The goal of the campaign is for the state to neutralize alias “Mordisco,” to whom a reward of up to 5 billion pesos ($1.3 million) is offered,” Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said. job on his X account after the military operation.
SEE ALSO: Criminal profile of Néstor Gregorio Vera Fernández, alias “Iván Mordisco”
The first signs of the state offensive pointed to the death of Mordisco, but this did not happen very quickly. demystified by a report from the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences listing the deceased, which included several members of its security services.
Since his refusal to join the peace process between the FARC and the Colombian government in 2016, Mordisco's criminal power has grown rapidly, making him one of the country's main military targets. The guerrilla leader has over 30 years of combat experience and commands a splinter faction with more than 4,000 members operating in 10 of the 32 Colombian departments. In March 2024, he became the first criminal leader to relinquish power to President Gustavo Petro. Total peace project.
The many lives of Iván Mordisco
The recent operation marks the latest of at least three incidents in which the Colombian government and local media have falsely reported the guerrilla leader's death.
In July 2022, Diego Molano, then Minister of Defense, announcement that the dissident leader had been killed during a military operation. Around this time his distinctive beret was found, but no body was found. Three months later, Mordisco reappeared alive in a video.
In April 2025, the discovery of a computer, glasses and a rifle following an attack by military forces on one of their camps in the department of Caquetá fueled rumors that the hunt for the guerrilla leader was over. However, once again, this was not the case.
Recently, the authorities have also intensified their efforts with his family circle. Alias ”Lorena”, Mordisco's companion and mother of his child, is we believe he is dead during the latest bombing, while four of Mordisco's brothers were captured last year, three of them in March 2026. Petro even support request of the United States to track Mordisco during a meeting with US President Donald Trump in February 2026.
Why was it so difficult to stop Iván Mordisco?
The military pressure Mordisco has faced over the past decade has done little to curb his criminal power. He managed to evade capture thanks to a combination of geographic factors, operational strategy, the support of certain local communities in his areas of influence and a healthy dose of paranoia.
Our research indicates that Mordisco resides primarily in the Colombian Amazonin particular the departments of Guaviare, Caquetá, Amazonas and Vaupés, where the Amazonas Bloc of the EMC operates. In this region, the dense vegetation of the jungle provides refuge from military operations and its rivers serve as mobility corridors for drug trafficking and escapes.
In addition to territorial advantages, Mordisco has a very experienced security system, consisting of 50 guerrillas who have been fighting the Colombian army for decades. At the heart is a trusted group that guarantees his protection and helps him escape quickly. A second ring controls strategic routes, rivers and supply points. A broader network of activists and civilian collaborators maintains surveillance in all areas where the group operates, acting as an early warning system.
SEE ALSO: Colombian EMC holds 'total peace' in Cauca hostage
However, the most decisive factor in his ability to evade capture is the territorial control his organization exercises over large areas of southeastern Colombia.
FARC dissidents have consolidated strong systems of criminal governance, imposing rules on communities and maintaining strict control over territories under their jurisdiction. For example, the EMC implemented mobility restrictions and transport control, and “card systems” in local communities to monitor who enters their territory. These practices allow them to monitor their territory in real time and detect the presence of external actors, including state forces.
