Despite initial uncertainty over Venezuela’s recent move to close its borders with Colombia, the Colombian government admits that both murder rates and smuggling activities have decreased since the socialist country deployed thousands of troops to guard the porous border between the two nations.

Following an attack caused by smugglers which resulted in three soldiers and a civilian being injured, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro announced in August that there would be 60 days of martial law affecting five municipalities in Tachira state.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was quick to criticize the closures, insisting that the increased border security would hurt ordinary citizens on both sides. According to the BBC, Manuel Santos said, "If we co-operate, the only ones to lose are the criminals, but if the border is closed, there is no co-ordination and the only ones to gain are the criminals."

Two months later, Colombian Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas has released a review that details the results of the Aug. 19 border closing.

According to Carlos Villegas the number of murders in the border region has dropped by 10 percent and over 150,000 gallons of gasoline, as well as 400 cattle, have been seized by Colombian authorities since Venezuela's border security operation was initiated.

Carlos Villegas remarked upon the easing of tensions between the neighboring nations, the BBC reports, saying, "We have reached a new era of co-operation with Venezuela's defence minister."

"I can affirm today that the border with Venezuela on the Colombian side is safer now than a year ago," Carlos Villegas said, adding, "I can undoubtedly affirm that the border is safer today than 60 days ago."

As reported in the New York Times, Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations, Rafael Ramírez, defended his nation’s border crackdown in September, saying that smugglers were responsible for taking 35 percent of Venezuela’s national production, “which has taken a tremendous toll on our economy.”