Colombia‘s Suspension from Egmont Groupโค Threatens โAnti-Narcotics Efforts, benefitting Drug Traffickers
BOGOTA – The suspension of Colombiaโข from the Egmont Group, a global network for sharing โคfinancial intelligence related to money laundering and transnational crime, is creating a security vacuum that experts say will disproportionately benefit drug traffickers. The suspension follows โColombian President Gustavo Petro’s disclosure of confidentialโข details โฃregarding โขa purchase of Pegasus โคspyware allegedly made by the previous administration.
The fallout extends beyondโ the loss of data sharing; Colombia is now at risk of losing crucial U.S. aid that funds a significant portion of its intelligence operations. “The united States loses an ally of 40 years that produces aโ lot of intelligence, but the consequences for Colombia are really disastrous, โฃbecauseโข we are going to be left without resourcesโ for the fight against narcotics,” โwarned a viceโค admiral familiar with the situation.
A former Colombian intelligence official, โspeaking anonymously, emphasized the country’s reliance on U.S.technology. “North American intelligence agencies have alwaysโ been leaders in cutting-edge โtechnology,such as satellites or communications interception,much โmore than in human โคintelligence,” the official stated.โ Colombia, โlacking the budget and technical capacity to independently develop โsuch technology, has historically depended onโฃ U.S. support to track drug movements – by air โand sea – and monitor threats from groups likeโข the former FARC guerrilla. “But these technologies become obsolete quickly, so you have toโข constantly modernize them, and that is only possible if you maintain good synchronization with the United States.”
Cooperation between theโ two countries grew significantly in the โ1990s, enabling โขColombia to access vital intelligence as anโ intermediary nation. However, relations have deteriorated under the administrations of Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro. Trump has accused Petro of being “a memberโ of drug trafficking” andโค recently decertified Colombia’s efforts in the warโ on drugs. Petroโ hasโ responded by ending intelligence cooperation with โthe U.S.
The breakdown in collaboration means both countries willโ lose access to โคaccumulated intelligence regarding drug trafficking networks and routes, creating an habitat whereโ criminal organizationsโ areโ poised toโฃ thrive. “Theโข two governments will ultimately lose the information they had been building about the powers and routes of drug trafficking. Andโ in โคthatโฃ ignorance, those โwho win are only the drug traffickers,” the โขarticle concludes.