On 17 March 2025, in the Lituania vereda (El Dovio, Valle del Cauca), in a joint operation, military and police forces clashed with members of the Carlos Vasquez faction of the Gulf Clan. During the combat, two members of the armed group were killed, including a regional leader who, according to intelligence investigations and intercepted audios, had attempted to plan an attack against President Gustavo Petro in Choco in 2024 (details unknown). Authorities also discovered four camps and seized war materials. 2 fatalities.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1) Summary On March 17, 2025, armed conflict occurred between government forces and the Gulf Clan Carlos Vasquez faction in the Eldovio region of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. During the operation, 2 armed group members were killed and 4 camps were discovered, with one of the deceased confirmed as a regional leader involved in a 2024 presidential assassination plot. High-intensity security instability continues in Colombia's key western agricultural region.

2) Supply-chain impact

• Valle del Cauca is a major sugarcane, coffee, and cocoa production region in Colombia, raising concerns over agricultural production and transportation network disruptions if armed conflict persists
• Located adjacent to transportation routes connecting Buenaventura port with inland areas, illegal armed group activities negatively impact logistics transportation security
• With the Gulf Clan's regional leadership targeted, territorial disputes may intensify during short-term organizational restructuring, expected to shrink civilian economic activity
• Given the mountainous terrain characteristics of western Colombia, alternative transportation routes are limited, creating risk of supply-chain bottleneck escalation during regional blockades

3) Watch points

• Need to observe whether additional armed conflicts occur for retaliatory attacks or territorial expansion in Valle del Cauca and neighboring Choco over the next 2-4 weeks
• Required to track the impact of strengthened traffic control measures on Buenaventura port access routes and major agricultural areas on logistics transportation time delays