Troops with the Peruvian Armed Forces and National Police officers recently destroyed 37 clandestine airstrips used by the Shining Path to transport drugs in the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers Valley (VRAEM) region.
Troops with the Peruvian Armed Forces and National Police officers recently destroyed 37 clandestine airstrips used by the Shining Path to transport drug in the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers Valley (VRAEM) region.
“These operations are a major blow to drug offenders who are the primary means of financing the terrorist organization Shining Path,” General César Astudillo Salcedo said.
The airstrips, which are known as narcopistas
, play a major role in the drug trade: about 90 percent of the cocaine produced in the VRAEM is transported out of the region by small aircraft. Given that high demand, owners can charge as much as US$12,000 for its use. Narco-traffickers use small planes to fly about half the cocaine produced in Peru to Bolivia; from there, the drugs are transported to Central America, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.
Since 2011, Peruvian Security Forces have destroyed at least 102 clandestine landing strips used by narco-traffickers. Most runways were 500 meters long, 10 meters wide and were located in the VRAEM.
Colombian National Army dismantles 2 cocaine laboratories
The Colombian National Army recently destroyed one cocaine laboratory controlled by the National Liberation Army (ELN) and another used by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) during separate operations in the Departments of Nariño and Guaviare, respectively.
During the first operation on March 27, the Twenty-Second Jungle Brigade seized 250 kilograms of chopped coca leaves, 55 gallons of coca leaves being processed into cocaine and 10 gallons of ammonia — among other supplies and equipment — from the laboratory belonging to the FARC’s 44th Antonio Ricaurte Front in the Department of Guaviare.
Two days later, the Special Brigade Against Drug Trafficking Unit Air Assault Aviation Division and the Unified Action Groups for Personal Liberty (GAULA) seized 292 kilograms of cocaine from a structure belonging to the ELN’s Guerra Carlos Alberto Troches Front. The cocaine had a street value of about 890.6 million pesos ($348,318 USD).
The FARC and the ELN are the country’s largest guerrilla groups. Both organizations use proceeds from narco-trafficking to fund their terrorist activities.
Troops with the Peruvian Armed Forces and National Police officers recently destroyed 37 clandestine airstrips used by the Shining Path to transport drug in the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers Valley (VRAEM) region.
“These operations are a major blow to drug offenders who are the primary means of financing the terrorist organization Shining Path,” General César Astudillo Salcedo said.
The airstrips, which are known as narcopistas
, play a major role in the drug trade: about 90 percent of the cocaine produced in the VRAEM is transported out of the region by small aircraft. Given that high demand, owners can charge as much as US$12,000 for its use. Narco-traffickers use small planes to fly about half the cocaine produced in Peru to Bolivia; from there, the drugs are transported to Central America, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.
Since 2011, Peruvian Security Forces have destroyed at least 102 clandestine landing strips used by narco-traffickers. Most runways were 500 meters long, 10 meters wide and were located in the VRAEM.
Colombian National Army dismantles 2 cocaine laboratories
The Colombian National Army recently destroyed one cocaine laboratory controlled by the National Liberation Army (ELN) and another used by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) during separate operations in the Departments of Nariño and Guaviare, respectively.
During the first operation on March 27, the Twenty-Second Jungle Brigade seized 250 kilograms of chopped coca leaves, 55 gallons of coca leaves being processed into cocaine and 10 gallons of ammonia — among other supplies and equipment — from the laboratory belonging to the FARC’s 44th Antonio Ricaurte Front in the Department of Guaviare.
Two days later, the Special Brigade Against Drug Trafficking Unit Air Assault Aviation Division and the Unified Action Groups for Personal Liberty (GAULA) seized 292 kilograms of cocaine from a structure belonging to the ELN’s Guerra Carlos Alberto Troches Front. The cocaine had a street value of about 890.6 million pesos ($348,318 USD).
The FARC and the ELN are the country’s largest guerrilla groups. Both organizations use proceeds from narco-trafficking to fund their terrorist activities.