A series of recent grenade attacks around various parts of Colombia’s capital city of Bogotá is the latest sign of an uptick in violence linked to ongoing battles for control of criminal economies and the expansion of foreign crime groups.

The latest grenade explosion rattled residents in the west of Bogotá on April 2. The device exploded next to an informal transport driver who was injured in the attack alongside six other people. It marked the fifth explosion in the capital city so far in 2025, leaving a total of four dead and 29 injured, according to official reports.

Between January and the end of March, four grenade explosions targeted the San Bernardo neighborhood in central Bogotá. The area is known for having high rates of homelessness, several points for local drug sales, sexual exploitation, as well as low-cost informal housing where people pay per night and which often house those most vulnerable.

“Since the market is so tight, various structures are pushing to sell there because you can make millions in one night. What’s at stake in one night is a lot of money. And of course, that’s where the disputes arise,” Rodolfo Escobedo, a local researcher and security expert, told InSight Crime.

SEE ALSO: Bogotá’s Microtrafficking Gangs Fuel Killings and Torture in Post-Pandemic Boom

The recent attacks in San Bernardo are due to disputes between two organized crime groups, according to Brigadier General Oscar Cristancho of Bogotá’s metro police force. “One is the Venecos and the other is the Costeños, which are battling for control of drug trafficking territory.”

The Venecos, according to the local police, is a criminal organization composed primarily of Venezuelan nationals. It is known for its connections to other groups like the Satanás gang and the Azules, both of which have been linked to petty drug dealing, extortion, and multiple homicides.

The wave of explosive attacks in Bogotá comes amid a rise in high-impact crimes like homicide and extortion. The Colombian capital saw a 12% rise in homicides between 2023 and 2024, increasing from 1,084 victims to 1,214. On the other hand, extortion increased more than 70% during the same period, with 2,597 total complaints registered last year, according to official data.

InSight Crime Analysis

The use of grenades by crime groups amid a deteriorating security situation in Bogotá reflects the convergence of violent tactics used by foreign crime groups and longstanding local criminal dynamics.

While explosive grenades are not something new in the context of Colombia’s armed conflict, the use of these devices within Bogotá’s criminal landscape is not as common.

During 2024, for example, half of all homicides committed in Bogotá were carried out by sicarios, or hired gunmen. This practice reflects a much more selective and discreet use of violence in comparison to grenade attacks, which are indiscriminate and generate more attention.

The recent explosive attacks, according to local police reports, have been attributed to the Venecos criminal group, which is composed of Venezuelan nationals. It is still unclear whether the group is operating autonomously or under the banner of a larger criminal network like Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s most notorious megagang. That said, the group’s actions and intimidation tactics are common to those of other Venezuelan crime groups. 

Between 2013 and 2023, according to an InSight Crime investigation, criminal groups carried out at least 138 grenade attacks across Venezuela targeting police stations, local businesses, and homes. What at first served as a defense mechanism against targeted security operations transformed into an effective way to demand extortion payments.

This use of violence expanded beyond Venezuela at the same time that local crime groups began to leave the country and settle in countries across South America, camouflaging themselves among the mass exodus of people fleeing Venezuela’s ongoing crisis. Explosive grenades later appeared in places like Peru, Chile, and other parts of Colombia, commonly used to either to threaten or attack those refusing to pay extortion.

SEE ALSO: Grenades Becoming Trademark of Venezuelan Extortion Gangs in Peru

After authorities eliminated two key small-scale drug trafficking zones in Bogotá where the state maintained practically no presence, known as Cartucho and the Bronx, the San Bernardo neighborhood absorbed some of the criminal dynamics that marked these areas. This included everything from drug distribution to human trafficking, extortion, the exploitation of unhoused people, and the consolidation of certain criminal groups.

However, some experts say the problem is more extensive than that.

“Today the news is San Bernardo because of the recent explosions, but in general terms there is this urban deterioration and social decay. There’s fighting over who controls microtrafficking. But while there is small-scale drug dealing here, these are also collection points for drugs that are sold and distributed to other parts of the city,” Hugo Acero, Bogotá’s former security secretary, told InSight Crime.

Featured image: Colombia’s anti-explosives police after a recent grenade attack in Bogotá. Credit: RCN Noticias

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