The Colombian Military Forces, acting in a coordinated manner in the land, sea and air domains, are deploying a comprehensive strategy aimed at dismantling the drug trafficking value chain, the main source of financing for Organized Armed Groups (GAO) and Residual Organized Armed Groups (GAO-r) that commit crimes in the national territory.
Through joint, coordinated, combined and interagency operations, we seek to impact this problem not only at the national level, but in the same way at the international level, demonstrating the power of legitimate State operation.
From August 2022 to date, the Colombian Military forces have found more than two thousand tons of narcotics such as cocaine, marijuana and more than 72 tons of coca paste base.
The effectiveness of the fight against drug trafficking lies in the ability of the Military Forces to execute joint operations, integrating the differentiated resources of Colombian National Army, the Colombian Navy and the Colombian Aerospace Force. In the same way noteworthy are the combined operations, which involve collaboration with military Forces of other countries, and the coordinated and interagency operations, which is carried out in close cooperation with the Attorney General's Office, the National Police and various intelligence agencies, both national and international.
In the land domain, Colombian National Army concentrates its efforts on the destruction of laboratories for drug production and the interception of shipments on land routes, including those in remote and difficult-to-access areas, where most of the illicit production is concentrated.
In the maritime and river domain, the Colombian Navy plays a fundamental role in interception operations, especially in territorial waters and on the high seas. Through permanent patrols and the use of technology, it was possible to detect and intercept ships used for transnational narcotics trafficking.
For its part, the Colombian Aerospace Force exercises airspace control through reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence work. In addition, it is responsible for identifying suspicious landing airstrips and intercepting aircraft used in illicit activities. Its rapid deployment capacity and the use of cutting-edge technologies leads it to monitor vast areas of the national territory and detect movements associated with drug trafficking.
Campaigns Paya, Orion and Zeus
The Paya Campaign is a strategy structured by Colombian National Army that integrates national and international efforts to intervene in the first phase of the drug trafficking chain. This campaign counters the trafficking of chemical precursors and powerfully destroys illicit laboratories and other facilities used for the production of illegal substances.
The Orion Naval Campaign, led by the Colombian Navy, represents a multinational effort that brings together various countries to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Thanks to the exchange of intelligence and coordinated operation, there have been historical cocaine finds and the dismantling of transnational networks specialized in drug trafficking. This campaign not only seeks the finding of narcotics, but in the same way the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, dealing direct blows to the financial and logistical structures of these criminal organizations, which obtain their illicit income through this problem.
In addition, the Colombian Aerospace Force, through the Zeus Campaign, contributes to the monitoring of illicit flights, as well as to the detection of illegal airstrips and the interception of aircraft used to transport drugs, especially in Caribbean and Central American countries. These operations, coordinated with strategic partner countries, strengthen aviation security in the regional and global context.
In addition, it should be noted that the combined work with institutions of other States constitutes one of the main allies in the fight against drug trafficking. This cooperation leads to detecting illegal activities in international environments and acting together anywhere in the world, within the framework of international law and bilateral commitments.
This is how in 2022, since the month of August, it was possible to find 227 tons of narcotics, a figure that has been increasing, obtaining at the end of 2023 the finding of about 693 tons of drugs, in 2024 more than 853 tons and so far in 2025 there are already 353 tons of cocaine, marijuana and other substances. Demonstrating the effectiveness of the strategy and campaigns implemented by the joint, coordinated, combined and interagency operations carried out during this period.
In order to increase the effectiveness and transparency of this struggle, the General Command of the Military Forces and the Ministry of National Defense is constantly carrying out a rigorous statistical control on the results of the military operation, which leads to real-time visualization of the progress and the results obtained. In the same way, the consolidation of data on findings, eradication, destruction of laboratories, arrests and judicial processes provides an accurate view of the impact achieved, and leads to strategically adjusting operations to optimize the use of resources.
Thanks to military intelligence resources and the implementation of the aforementioned campaigns, Colombia has been able to strengthen its cooperation with international actors, executing joint operations that have led to important findings both nationally and in various countries.
Source: Strategic Communications General Command of the military forces
