Colombia's Special Forces: Battling Drug Gangs and Cartels

Colombia's special forces train rigorously to combat powerful drug gangs and rescue hostages amid ongoing violence and conflict.

### Colombia's Elite Forces: Battling Drug Gangs and Civil Conflict
* 💪  These elite soldiers are part of Colombia's special forces, tasked with **confronting some of the world's most dangerous drug gangs** and executing **high-stakes missions like hostage rescues**.
* 🌍  Colombia produces **70% of the world's cocaine**, a trade that has significantly contributed to a civil war resulting in **nearly half a million deaths**.
* 🏋️‍♂️  At the Tolemaida military base, soldiers like Luis undergo rigorous training, including a challenging **42-day annual program** that prepares them for **ambush tactics and jungle operations**.
* 🎯  In the first quarter of 2023 alone, **71 kidnappings were reported**, a stark increase from the previous year, indicating that drug traffickers are shifting to **ransom demands** as coca production declines.
* 🚁  The soldiers practice techniques like "lanceros training," simulating helicopter jumps to ensure **quick and stealthy landings** during missions, which are often **shrouded in secrecy** due to the dangers posed by cartels and rebels.
* 💣  With Colombia's drug gangs controlling vast territories, including the powerful **Clan del Golfo**, soldiers must navigate complex environments while remaining **vigilant against ambushes and informants**.
* 💰  Despite government efforts to eradicate coca farming, the crop remains **vital for many families**, with the leftist president proposing legalization, a move **opposed by the U.S.**
* 📞  As the soldiers return from training, they grapple with the realities of their fight, with Eduardo expressing a **desire for peace**, while Luis remains **skeptical about a future free from drug violence**.

How Colombia’s Elite Soldiers Train To Bust The World’s Deadliest Criminals | Risky Business

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Colombia's Special Forces: Battling Drug Gangs

Colombia's special forces are tasked with taking on the country's dangerous drug gangs, which control 70% of the world's cocaine.

The soldiers undergo rigorous training at the Tolemaida military base, with a focus on high-stakes missions like hostage rescue.

The rising number of kidnappings in 2023, driven by dropping coca crop revenue, has increased the demand for ransom, making the soldiers' work even more crucial.

Colombia's Ongoing Struggle with Drug Gangs and Cartels

Colombia is home to at least 23 drug gangs and four major rebel groups, with the Clan del Golfo cartel controlling key drug-trafficking routes to the US.

The cartel's members, known as AGC, act as police in some rural areas, while official membership in these criminal organizations has reached an all-time high.

The country's war on drugs, ongoing since the 1970s, has led to a lucrative industry that now employs 400,000 people and generates $18 billion annually.

The Impact of Colombia's Drug War and Civil Conflict

The group fighting against Colombia's wealth gap in the 1960s led to a civil war lasting over 50 years, ending with a peace deal in 2016.

The disbandment of the group caused a splintering of coca production, making it difficult to hold any one party accountable.

The US has invested over $10 billion in Colombia's war on drugs since 1999, while the conflict has resulted in over 450,000 deaths and the displacement of nearly 8 million people between 1985 and 2018.

Training Soldiers in the Jungle: A Challenging Mission

The soldiers are training in a jungle setting, practicing different scenarios with makeshift targets to prepare for their missions.

They aim to injure, not kill, targets to handle multiple offenders and practice shooting in sync while moving silently.

The Colombian government's efforts to wipe out cocaine production have been met with resistance, as secret hideouts and illegal refineries continue to thrive, leading to inevitable conflicts in remote areas.

Coca farming is a vital livelihood for over 200,000 families in Colombia, with the plant now covering five times more land than during Pablo Escobar's era.

The government's crop substitution program, introduced in 2016, has struggled to provide full support to families, despite 100,000 sign-ups.

The country's leftist president, Gustavo Petro, aims to legalize cocaine, but faces opposition from the US, while local fighters express doubt about achieving lasting peace in Colombia.