Colombian authorities intercepted 14 tons of cocaine at Buenaventura port during their largest narcotics operation in ten years, according to President Gustavo Petro. Police discovered the shipment concealed within plaster mixtures inside multiple sacks at a warehouse facility without violence. The Pacific coastal hub serves as a primary transit point for traffickers moving product toward North American and European markets.
The seizure arrives as diplomatic relations between Bogota and Washington deteriorate over conflicting drug interdiction philosophies. American officials have criticized Petro's social reform approach while threatening economic penalties and alliance status removal. Colombia maintains coca cultivation across 253,000 hectares, producing approximately 2,600 tons annually, despite receiving substantial counternarcotics assistance.
Petro defended his administration's record by highlighting cumulative 2025 confiscations exceeding 600 tons through intelligence-based methods rather than military confrontation. The haul disrupts trafficking networks operating along Valle del Cauca's coastline, where criminal organizations control distribution channels.
The seizure arrives as diplomatic relations between Bogota and Washington deteriorate over conflicting drug interdiction philosophies. American officials have criticized Petro's social reform approach while threatening economic penalties and alliance status removal. Colombia maintains coca cultivation across 253,000 hectares, producing approximately 2,600 tons annually, despite receiving substantial counternarcotics assistance.
Petro defended his administration's record by highlighting cumulative 2025 confiscations exceeding 600 tons through intelligence-based methods rather than military confrontation. The haul disrupts trafficking networks operating along Valle del Cauca's coastline, where criminal organizations control distribution channels.
