Military

Command Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats
Comando Contra el Narcotráfico y Amenazas Transnacionales, CONAT

In Colombia, transnational threats include, among others, drug trafficking, the illicit exploitation of mining deposits, extortion, kidnapping, arms, ammunition and explosives trafficking, irregular migration and migrant smuggling, as well as the presence of Organized Armed Groups (GAO), Organized Crime Groups (GDO) and Transnational Organized Crime (DOT).

However, the main threat to national security and defense is the phenomenon of drug trafficking and all its links, which have a direct impact on the increase in force within armed groups organized outside the law, enhance their criminal capacity, as well, such as transnational crimes, which also allow their financing with the activities of drug trafficking and the illicit extraction of mining deposits.

Therefore, on February 26, 2021, as part of the Government's strategy to strengthen offensive action against drug trafficking and other transnational threats, the Command Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats, CONAT , Resolution 0095 of 2021, was created. organic of the Air Assault Aviation Division. This Command will be made up of elite units with distinctive capabilities to develop special military operations throughout the national territory.

The elite units that make up the new Command are the Deployment Force against Transnational Threats, which will be in charge of planning and conducting military operations with special units against transnational threats throughout the national territory; three brigades against drug trafficking, in charge of planning and conducting Unified Land Operations (OTU), with an emphasis on drug trafficking, through comprehensive eradication, in order to affect the productive chain and contribute to the protection of the State and its resources, and the Brigade against the Illicit Exploitation of Mining Reservoirs, in charge of contributing to the protection and defense of the environment and renewable natural resources, through the planning and conducting of military operations in assistance to State entities,

In this way, about 7,000 men will concentrate their special capacities against drug trafficking and transnational threats, and will be the ones who constitute the Command against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats, a very important capacity to face the illicit drug business, in order to to effectively fulfill the task of comprehensive eradication of illicit crops and transnational threats.

Drug trafficking will be fought with the deployment of 7,000 men from the Colombian National Army command. The President of the Republic, Iván Duque Márquez, affirmed during the activation of Conat 26 February 2021 that drug trafficking is one of the causes of the murder of social leaders and people who seek to reach legality. For that reason, the Public Force "will go without contemplation to destroy drug trafficking structures." Diego Molano, Minister of Defense, endorsed Duque's statement by guaranteeing that Conat will prioritize its actions in areas with a high concentration of crime, such as Catatumbo, Cauca and Putumayo. The official assured that drug trafficking will be fought "by air, land and sea" and will not have a chance of truce with the new deployment. Regarding transnational threats, in Colombia they are classified as the illicit exploitation of mining deposits, extortion, kidnapping, arms trafficking and, of course, drug trafficking.

Conat will try, in the words of the National Government, to combat transnational crimes through the Air Assault Aviation Division, which in turn is made up of elite units with the capacity to carry out special military operations throughout the country.

The command will consist of the anti-drug trafficking brigade that will be in charge of planning and executing the Unified Land Operations (OTU); the second is the Brigade Against the Illicit Exploitation of Mining Reservoirs, which seeks to protect the environment and the country's resources; the last will be the Deployment Force Against Transnational Threats and will combat extortion, kidnapping, arms and ammunition trafficking, as well as migrant smuggling.

General Juan Carlos Correa will be the brigadier in charge of this new command thanks to his 32 years of military career with multiple medals and decorations from the Government. This strengthening of the military program against the fight against drug trafficking was possible through resolution 0095 of 2021.