Cúcuta mayor Jorge Enrique Acevedo said on 2026-08-31 that the car bomb attack in Los Patios may be related to military operations by public forces against criminal structures including the ELN. ^[1] On 2026-08-31 at approximately 11:15 pm, a vehicle loaded with explosives detonated near the police station in Los Patios, Norte de Santander, Colombia. ^[2] A car bomb attack occurred at the police station in Los Patios, leaving one person dead and eleven injured. ^[3] Colombian Army troops located a stolen vehicle containing explosives in Agua Blanca, a rural zone of Cúcuta, hours after the initial attack. ^[4] Acevedo said that signing more than 40 extraditions in 20 days and recent attacks are a 'natural response' from criminals. ^[5] The explosion caused a fire at the police station, damaged motorcycles, commercial establishments and homes, and left the area without power. ^[6] Defense Minister Jorge Mora stated that the timely reaction of the public forces can make the difference between a threat and a tragedy. ^[7] President Abelardo De la Espriella announced that the military operation successfully frustrated a new terrorist attack in Cúcuta. ^[8]