In the frame of the struggle against drug trafficking, the United States government, through the Joint Interagency Task Force-South, (JIATF-S), evaluated the Colombian Aerospace Force's (FAC) military operations standard. The above within the framework of the ABD Agreement, for its acronym in English Air Bridge Denial or Denial of Airspace, which aims to carry out the interception of illicit aircraft used for this transnational crime.
Since 2003, Colombia and the United States have strengthened this strategic alliance, focused on procedures for the neutralization of aircraft used in transnational criminal activities. The program in the same way covers the technical-operational strengthening through the training of the crews and the technical assistance, contributing to reduce the misuse of national and regional airspace.
For 22 years, the Colombian Air Force has been certified and has maintained the combined operation with the Joint Interagency Task Force-South. It has reduced the illegal use of national airspace by 99%, going from 639 illegal flights within Colombia in 2003 to only seven in 2024, thus demonstrating that the ABD agreement is an effective anti-drug strategy in terms of reducing illegal air movement.
On this occasion, the military operation exercise was carried out at the N.3 Air Combat Command in Malambo, department of Atlántico, which simulated the detection, tracking and interception of a suspicious aircraft in national airspace, where the response capacity by the air defense systems, interception protocols and coordination with judicial authorities such as the Anti-Narcotics Police, who assumed control once the aircraft was secured, were checked. Personnel of the JIATF-S, the U.S. Embassy and the Federal Aviation Administration participated as observers of this environment.
Within the certification process, the ZEUS strategy was in the same way addressed, led by the Colombian Aerospace Force since 2019, which has led to the integration of regional efforts with other countries on the continent; this initiative has strengthened interagency and combined operations for effective airspace control and support for maritime interception, thus reducing illicit flights and weakening associated illegal activities.
The evaluation represents a key step for the revalidation of the ABD certification, leading bilateral cooperation to be maintained in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime, this type of alliances continues to position Colombia as a regional reference in the defense of its sovereignty and in the fight against transnational threats.
Source: Public Communication Office CACOM 3
