Intelligence Leaks Expose How Colombian and Venezuelan Networks Back Narco Boats Hit by U.S. Bombings: Report
Story by Pedro Camacho • 3h
Intelligence documents reviewed by Colombian news magazine Semana indicate that cocaine-laden boats destroyed by recent U.S. strikes in the Caribbean often depart from Colombia but are sustained by logistics and protection originating in Venezuela.
The magazine's investigation, based on leaked reports and interviews with military and intelligence sources, describes bribery-fueled corridors, routes greenlit from Colombian coasts, and shielding in waters influenced by Venezuela's "Cartel de los Soles," despite stepped-up U.S. interdiction.
Semana reports that, under President Donald Trump, the United States has carried out selective bombings on suspected "narcolanchas," authorized CIA covert operations, and flown deterrent patrols near Venezuelan waters. While Washington argues the strikes have reduced trafficking, sources told Semana the flow continues, with traffickers shifting to semisubmersibles, altered routes, and faster craft that raise costs without dismantling networks.
Roughly 70% of recent seizures tied to the Trump administration originate in Colombia, particularly from the Gulf of Urabá and northern Chocó, areas dominated by the Clan del Golfo, according to the investigation. "The boats depart via the San Bernardo islands, San Andrés, or Providencia, leveraging local fishermen and small craft for payoffs," a Colombian intelligence officer told Semana.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/intelligence-leaks-expose-how-colombian-and-venezuelan-networks-back-narco-boats-hit-by-u-s-bombings-report/ar-AA1PaC27?ocid=widgetonlockscreen&cvid=a26b51d4dd354665a6c6426d5d5e5fcd&ei=10
