Title: Colombia's War Against Drug Gangs Escalates with Deployment of Armed Drones
In recent years, Colombia has been battling against drug gangs in an effort to curb the violence that plagues the country. However, this war has taken a new turn as armed drones are now being deployed by the Colombian government in their fight against these criminal organizations. This development comes after a series of ceasefires with smaller criminal groups collapsed over the past year, leading to an increase in attacks on security forces using explosive-laden drones.
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has become increasingly common in conflicts around the world, from Ukraine to the Middle East. However, Colombia is relatively late to adopt this technology for its military operations. The country's conflict dates back to the 1960s but had been decreasing in recent years due to a peace treaty signed in 2016 that disarmed the largest guerrilla army and led to ceasefires with smaller criminal groups.
However, these ceasefires have now collapsed, leading to an escalation of violence by drug traffickers who are using drones for various purposes such as monitoring their drug crops and cocaine laboratories, targeting rival smugglers, and ambushing police and army troops. Over the past two years, they have successfully attacked security forces about 200 times with explosive-laden drones.
The technology behind these attacks is inexpensive and widely available; drug traffickers simply buy commercial drones online for a thousand dollars or so before attaching homemade explosives to them. This has prompted the Colombian government to develop its own military drones, with Air Force Gen. Andrés Guzmán stating that because the new technology is so cheap, it has provided criminals with an advantage in their war against security forces.
The deployment of armed drones marks a significant shift in Colombia's ongoing battle against drug gangs and highlights the growing importance of UAVs in modern conflict. As these technologies continue to evolve and become more accessible, we can expect to see them play an increasingly prominent role in military operations around the world. It remains to be seen how effective this new strategy will be in combating criminal activity within Colombia, but one thing is certain: the use of armed drones signals a dangerous escalation in the country's long-standing conflict with drug traffickers and organized crime.
Source: [Original Article](https://www.npr.org/2025/07/16/nx-s1-5464727/colombia-armed-drones-drug-gangs) #colombia
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