A new strategy, this time continental, will be launched in Bogotá next November and aims to bring together, for the first time, all American nations to work together against drug trafficking, immigration, theft and smuggling.
All police chiefs of Latin American countries and Federal agencies of the United States agreed to an extraordinary meeting in Bogota in November. reach agreement on territorial aggression.
National Police Chief General William Salamanca explains the details of the first major regional summit agreed during the Justice Minister’s recent official visit to Washington: Nestor Osun; General Nicolás Zapata, the Anti-Narcotics Director of the Police, and General Salamanca himself, who spoke to this historian for EL TIEMPO.
What concerns have you encountered in the United States?
The conversations were less about concerns and more about how to join forces to face the current scenario. They are worried about irregular migration. And here comes a rethinking of strategy in the Police case, where the number one goal is to go after the mafias who are behind this trafficking, this irregular migration.
What exactly is the relationship between drug trafficking and immigration?
Human trafficking concentrates thousands of people in Colombia and Panama, and we want to know whether some of these people are also being used to transport cocaine and take it to the United States.
And does it look like that?
We do not ignore this. It may be possible because drug trafficking mafias use all kinds of methods to achieve their goals. We are increasingly amazed at criminality’s ability to divert the attention of authorities. For example, in a recent cocaine seizure, we found a shipment of maiden statues filled with cocaine. The US is also involved in psychoactive substances such as fentanyl. It is up to us to participate in multilateral efforts. In the United States and Latin America, the leadership and experience of the Colombian Police in fighting crime is recognized. Therefore, we will strengthen this leadership to connect the region’s police forces to this fight.
So how do they plan to do this?
Next November, we will invite Latin American police chiefs to Bogota to talk about these issues as a mechanism to strengthen cooperation. We will analyze in depth the problems we face as a region, such as drug trafficking, extortion, irregular migration, illegal mining, trade in endangered wild species, smuggling, theft, ‘drop by drop’…
Will the USA join?
We will invite federal agencies. We need to sit together and look at this scenario and see how we cooperate and interact, how intelligence works hand in hand, how information is exchanged and how the prosecutor’s offices of the two countries participate in the structure of investigations.
But this is a summit where all the cops on the continent will discuss what agenda in particular?
First, drug trafficking and its current context. For example, what are invisible drug traffickers? We conducted an operation together with the Attorney General’s Office, the National Navy and the United States, the Navy seized a shipment of cocaine in Caribbean waters. The investigation began with the DEA and the Colombian Police, and we found an invisible drug trafficker exporting cocaine from our shores to Mexican cartels, the United States and Europe. And it wasn’t on anyone’s radar. This drug trafficker, known by the pseudonym El Cóndor, exported more than 90 tons of cocaine. So when I say invisible drug traffickers, these are bosses using fronts.
So why do you call them invisible?
Because they do not enter anyone’s territory. They are secret. Therefore, investigations and international cooperation allow us to know the traces of cocaine seizures, for example. There are more than 350 brands or brands. Who is behind these labels or brands? Drug traffickers who were not on our radar appear there. I call them invisible narcos.
So what are brands?
Drug traffickers mark cocaine when exporting it. Shields of football teams, numbers, words. This allows them to identify with each other. Moreover, there are others that are completely invisible, leaving no trace.
Who are they?
These are drug traffickers, like the ‘Condor’ case, that emerged after these investigations, that no one knew about, but as a result of international cooperation and investigations into the shipment seized by the Colombian Navy, we found this drug trafficker. Exporting more than 90 tonnes of cocaine.
So are we in the hands of drug trafficking?
No no no. Not at all. I’ve been a police officer for 40 years but I had a really tough time in the 80s and 90s when we were faced with the threat of drug trafficking. We were faced with a very, very complex situation. Drug trafficking has backed us into a corner with terrorism, criminal attacks, kidnappings and car bombs. Today it is a completely different country, thanks to the strong response of the same Colombian society and authorities to this threat.
He said that the first item of the summit was drug trade. Second?
Migration. We need to determine which criminals and which organizations are behind the migration phenomenon that affects the entire hemisphere. At this summit, we will discuss migration and make investigations.
So, is the migration organized?
Yeah yeah.
By whom and for what?
In the case of Colombia, I say this unequivocally: the ‘Gulf clan’ is one of the organizations behind this perverted phenomenon.
So: primarily drug trafficking; The second is migration…
Third, theft of all kinds: vehicles, mobile phones, parts and auto parts. Fourth, smuggling, which is a branch of drug trafficking. This is a way for drug traffickers to launder their assets. And fifth, illegal mineral extraction, especially in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. Environmental damage, deforestation, pollution of water resources and extinction of species, and poisoning of ecosystems with mercury are a reality.
What projects will you suggest?
First, strengthening police cooperation; Secondly, to exchange information about the criminal groups that each country has, using the capabilities of our intelligence. Three, to work with the prosecutors’ offices of the countries in these investigations to capture not only people connected to drug trafficking, but also people connected to the crimes that we will be covering.
Are controversial issues such as increasing the banking reserve discussed to investigate how capital grows?
This is a very important point. Here in Colombia, together with the Prosecutor’s Office, we have seized approximately $90 million in illicit assets. And we did this by exchanging financial information. This is a strategy created by President Petro. He told us: “Let’s go after the crime centers. Let’s go after their assets.” This scenario will also be evaluated at the summit. Countries participating in the meeting will strengthen the capabilities of financial systems to detect illicit capital in the continent’s economies.
How would you summarize the main purpose of the police summit in Bogotá?
As a historic opportunity to increase institutional capacity and fight together against organized crime, because crime has no borders.
What intelligence reports are available to structure investigations together?
We have proven intelligence capabilities. Therefore, the most important thing is that each country does not continue to face its problems alone. We need to face these as a whole, as a region. Example: There are thousands of people who want to come to the United States, but they may be asked for large amounts of money or used to commit crimes. That’s what we need to attack.
Do you have any figures regarding immigration?
Panama says there are about 330,000 people who have crossed the Darien.
Do you agree on this?
Approximately 300,000 people emigrated.
You say the third issue of the summit is theft…
Yes, stealing from people is a phenomenon that harms public security. In Colombia, theft causes us great harm and we need to confront it. Therefore, it is an issue that we will take beyond our borders, because some of the elements stolen here have a market in Latin America; such as mobile phones, vehicle and motorcycle parts and auto parts.
So smuggling?
It is another crime that causes us a lot of harm. And here international organizations dedicated to this scourge also appear on the scene.
What figures do you have regarding smuggling?
Smuggling costs the Colombian economy approximately 6 billion pesos a year. That is why the US Tax and Customs Police, the DA’s Office, Dian and HSI are on the offensive through asset forfeiture operations, which this year alone has allowed us to affect 67 real estate properties worth 145,000 million. We arrested 190 people and collapsed 23 criminal structures.
What about mining?
Damage to the environment constitutes a crime not only against flora and fauna, but also against human life itself. Last year, over 120 thousand hectares were deforested, but so far this year, with our Carabineros Directorate, Military Forces and Prosecutor’s Office, we have responded to 2,921 mines, destroyed 227 dredgers and 128 diggers, and captured 815 people associated with this monstrosity.
The Idec world anti-drug summit on this issue begins tomorrow, Monday, in Jamaica. Which position will you take?
We are carrying out this initiative of President Gustavo Petro: Countries producing chemical precursors must undertake not to allow the illegal use of the sale of these substances. What do I mean? We will hold an international summit with these countries so that they will commit to ensuring that their sales are completely legal as their final destination. So there is a control because we can’t see it right now. China, Poland and some Eastern European countries that produce chemical precursors need to help us.
There are those who say that as a result of ‘total peace’, the Public Power is in the country with its hands down and its hands crossed…
This is absolutely wrong. The numbers and major operations show that we are on the offensive against multiple crimes. I saw that the President and the Minister of Defense gave full support and support to the Police’s actions against common and organized crime. I never received any orders to the contrary. We are aware that we have problems with citizens’ insecurity, but it is also a fact that we are working to eliminate them. Insecurity figures are already starting to reveal a different picture. Between August 20 and September 12, homicide cases decreased by 6%, from 967 cases to 913; theft decreased by 21%; Kidnapping is 69%, extortion is 85%. Major operations in coordination with our Military Forces were added to the shock plan, which enabled us to capture drug lords such as ‘Bula’, ‘Vallenato’, ‘Cóndor’, ‘Byron’ and ‘Pantera’. Therefore, the Police are determined to achieve ‘total peace’ without reducing the aggression.
YAMID AMAT
Exclusive to EL TIEMPO
Source: Exame
