The Black Hawk helicopter was ready for take off – its rotor blades slicing through the air in the deadening heat of the Colombian Amazon. We ducked low and crammed in alongside the Jungle Commandos – a police special operations unit armed by the Americans and originally trained by Britain's SAS, when it was founded in 1989.
The commandos were heavily armed. The mission was familiar. The weather was clear. But there was tension on board, kicking in with the adrenaline. When you go after any part of the drug trade in Colombia, you have to be ready for trouble.
The commandos often face resistance from criminal groups, and current and former guerrillas who have replaced the cartels of the 1970s and 80s. We took off, flying over the district of Putumayo - close to the border with Ecuador - part of Colombia's cocaine heartland. The country provides about 70% of the world's supply.
Just ahead two other Black Hawks were leading the way. Down below us there was dense forest and patches of bright green – the tell-tale sign of coca plant cultivation. The crop now covers an area nearly twice the size of Greater London, and four times the size of New York, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
After 20 minutes, we land at a clearing in the jungle and see the first stage of a global drug trade. The commandos lead us to a crude cocaine lab, partly hidden by banana trees. It's little more than a shack but it has the key ingredients – drums of chemicals and a mound of fresh coca leaves, ready to be turned into a paste.
In a matter of minutes, the lab is set ablaze, eliminating a portion of the drug trade, yet the struggles are far from over as commandos note the rapid rebuilding of such labs.
The drug trade thrives on demand. Major Cristhian Cedano Díaz, a 16-year veteran in this ongoing battle, indicates that reconstructions occur almost immediately, highlighting the resilient nature of Colombia's drug gangs.
As President Joe Biden engages with Colombian President Gustavo Petro about this ongoing war, both leaders recognize the cycle of drug production and its links to economic desperation among farmers like Javier, who perpetuate the cycle to survive.
Javier reflects on his struggles and the socioeconomic factors driving farmers into the hands of the drug trade, imploring for support rather than threats, as the battle against drugs continues in a landscape where pain and profit often intermingle.
The commandos were heavily armed. The mission was familiar. The weather was clear. But there was tension on board, kicking in with the adrenaline. When you go after any part of the drug trade in Colombia, you have to be ready for trouble.
The commandos often face resistance from criminal groups, and current and former guerrillas who have replaced the cartels of the 1970s and 80s. We took off, flying over the district of Putumayo - close to the border with Ecuador - part of Colombia's cocaine heartland. The country provides about 70% of the world's supply.
Just ahead two other Black Hawks were leading the way. Down below us there was dense forest and patches of bright green – the tell-tale sign of coca plant cultivation. The crop now covers an area nearly twice the size of Greater London, and four times the size of New York, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
After 20 minutes, we land at a clearing in the jungle and see the first stage of a global drug trade. The commandos lead us to a crude cocaine lab, partly hidden by banana trees. It's little more than a shack but it has the key ingredients – drums of chemicals and a mound of fresh coca leaves, ready to be turned into a paste.
In a matter of minutes, the lab is set ablaze, eliminating a portion of the drug trade, yet the struggles are far from over as commandos note the rapid rebuilding of such labs.
The drug trade thrives on demand. Major Cristhian Cedano Díaz, a 16-year veteran in this ongoing battle, indicates that reconstructions occur almost immediately, highlighting the resilient nature of Colombia's drug gangs.
As President Joe Biden engages with Colombian President Gustavo Petro about this ongoing war, both leaders recognize the cycle of drug production and its links to economic desperation among farmers like Javier, who perpetuate the cycle to survive.
Javier reflects on his struggles and the socioeconomic factors driving farmers into the hands of the drug trade, imploring for support rather than threats, as the battle against drugs continues in a landscape where pain and profit often intermingle.
