Saint Dominic.-The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated yesterday that the 9.8 tons of cocaine seized by the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) at the beginning of the month came from Catatumbo, a region of Colombia with a high presence of paramilitary groups and that records the largest production of that substance, and that the intelligence agencies of his country collaborated with the seizure.
«With the help of Colombian police intelligence, 9.5 tons of cocaine have been seized in the Dominican Republic. The drugs came from armed groups in Catatumbo,” Petro posted through his X account.
However, the intelligence reports to which EL DÍA has had access do not coincide with the information provided by Petro, since neither the Dominican nor the North American agencies have a record of the information to which Petro refers.
Catatumbo is a Colombian region located northeast of the department of Santander, noted as the main enclave for the production of coca leaf.
In this area, bordering Venezuela, several armed groups converge that fight to control the business of illicit crops of the main input for the manufacture of cocaine.
It should be noted that the National Liberation Army (ELN), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARD) and the Popular Liberation Army (ELP) converge in Catatumbo.
Colombia continues to lead global coca production and represents around 60% of global supply. To meet demand, producers have continuously expanded their cultivated area, which in 2022 amounted to 230,000 hectares, 13% more than in 2022.
Complexity
The route, strategy of concealment and the involvement of independent cells by drug trafficking structures to mobilize the 9.8 tons of cocaine have made the investigative process even more complex, which, according to a source, is very advanced.
As the days go by, new elements and details have strengthened the investigative process, considered a complex case due to its wide international scope, and in which criminal structures from at least five countries would be involved.
The investigation itself has generated uncertainty among various sectors of national life that ask that those responsible be made known.
Coalition
– Investigation
The seizure of 9.8 tons of coca, which marked a milestone in the fight against drug trafficking in the region, is promoted by a coalition of investigators led by the DNCD with the cooperation of the DEA.
