The constant military operations conducted by the National Navy during the first half of the year have left important blows against the illegality.
Bogotá. The operation of the National Navy in the Colombian Pacific against drug trafficking organizations and organized armed groups linked to drug trafficking has led, during the first half of the year, more than 50 tons of cocaine hydrochloride confiscated, preventing illegal structures to received more than 1,600 million dollars of the sale in the international illegal market.
Regardless of the method used by drug trafficking organizations to collect the alkaloid in illegal hideouts, jungle areas and transport of that in speedboats, low profile boats, submarines or leaving it in the sea with satellite buoys, as well as in tractors that enter the Port Society, the Pacific Naval Force through the Anti-Narcotics Task Force "Poseidon", the Marine Infantry Brigade No. 2, the Pacific Surface Flotilla and the Pacific Air Group, in seas, rivers, air and lands in the departments of Cauca, Chocó, Nariño and Valle del Cauca, has dealt heavy blows to drug trafficking structures.
This year the use of radars and detection systems of the latest technology capable of finding long-range objectives, strengthen operations of the Coast Guard units, in maritime control operations throughout the Colombian Pacific, in the sea, coasts and rivers. It is worth highlighting the combined operations carried out with the Navies of the United States, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and Panama, in the framework of the maritime agreement and cooperation treaties that have contributed to the discovery of more than 50 tons of cocaine hydrochloride during the first six months of the year.
These operations have captured 133 drug traffickers of which 66 are Colombians, 40 Ecuadorians, 10 Costa Ricans, eight Mexicans, three Guatemalans, two Panamanians and a Honduran.
In the same way, in the operation against the entire drug trafficking chain, 50 laboratories and cocaine laboratories have been destroyed, as well as 6,787 kilograms of solid precursors and 15,184 gallons of liquid precursors.
On the other hand, in the fight against different criminal groups that wanted to hit the transit of ships, when trying to carry out robberies in the sea, the Pacific Naval Force through the Task Force "Litoral" has strengthened the operations of control of the sea, by taking new measures of the hand of the maritime union, leading fishermen to register their ships, for free, in order to detect illegal ships and install a satellite panic button which once activated, the authorities can act in real time, among others.
The daily escort of the different type of boats, is another of the measures of the National Navy, to guarantee the free navigability in the region and the economy, because the products and basic elements arrive via maritime, due to the absence of roads. These measures are strengthened with controls carried out by the Maritime Authority on docks and piers.
In order to safeguard human life at sea, the Pacific Naval Force has rescued 225 people safe and sound in more than 26 search and rescue operations. Besides, other several results were obtained in different areas that contributed to the protection of the interests and resources of the nation such as the finding of 2.4 tons of illegal fishing and the confiscation of wood with 7,283 cubic meters of different types. In operations against illegal mining, 12 machines such as dredgers and backhoes have been destroyed, and four individuals were captured. To date 191 weapons, 16,524 cartridges of different calibers and 2,783 kilograms of explosives have been seized.
Regarding the unarmed effort during the first semester, 18 Development Support Days have been held and they have benefited 13,226 inhabitants of the most remote areas of the Colombian Pacific. 124 humanitarian assistance activities have been carried out benefiting 22,358 people; 228 integration activities with ethnic groups have benefited 12,500 indigenous and afro-descendants people; and accompaniment and promotion of 63 infrastructure, environmental and playground projects have benefited 42,000 people.
The Pacific Naval Force, composed of more than 7,000 men and women, has the mission to carry out operations in 339,500 square kilometers of territorial sea, and operates on 1,300 kilometers of coast in the Colombian Pacific, patrolling and maintaining security and tranquility in 26 thousand square kilometers of land and fluvial territory.
Source: National Navy.
