Skip to content

Colombia's battle with cocaine traffickers

Colombia’s anti-narcotics police are fighting a war on cocaine trafficking - which is being fuelled by demand in Europe and the US.

Over 900 tonnes of cocaine were produced last year, prompting fears that Colombia is losing the war on drugs.

The BBC's Frank Gardner went to the country to see how authorities are trying to deal with the problem.

2 August 2018

Explore More

Marshall Islands Climate Envoy Tina Stege walking out of a meeting

Watch: Dozens of nations walk out of COP29 climate talks

Footage of heavy flooding in a field

Heavy flooding caused by Storm Bert

BBC Scotland's Judith Ralston says there is also a weather warning as high winds are expected to hit the Western Isles and the north-west

Storm Bert brings rain and high winds on Sunday

Science & Environment

BBC News

One-minute World News

Country home blanketed in snow

Snowy Saturday as Storm Bert sweeps the UK

With some travel disruption, children and dogs have been enjoying the cold weather

Watch: Scotland under a blanket of snow from Storm Bert

Science & Environment

BBC Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega at scene of destroyed building in Beirut, Lebanon

Beirut strike 'so powerful it was felt across the city'

BBC Scotland's Judith Ralston says snow will extend into northern Scotland over the next few hours.

The latest weather forecast for Scotland as Storm Bert hits

90s boy band Damage in a black and white promotional photo

Watch: Boy band Damage on their journey to stardom

Phone footage of a skate surfacing out of grey waves to a rigid inflatable boat.ttack the side of a inflatable

Watch the moment a skate attacks a fisherman's boat off Shetland

NE, Orkney & Shetland

People in high-vis jackets walk next to a car submerged in floods on the left of a split screen with a snowy road on the right

Atmospheric river dumps snow and record rain on California

Science & Environment

Smoke billows from house fire.

Video shows flames and thick smoke at house fire

A view from an EasyJet plane window as it flies above and to the side of an erupting volcano

Plane passengers film Iceland volcano lava from above

BBC News

East of England weather forecast

Composite image of Sir Keir Starmer and BBC Radio WM presenter Kath Stanczyszyn, who is pictured wearing headphones and speaking into a purple microphone

Will there be a Birmingham pub bombings inquiry?

Birmingham & Black Country

A huge Christmas tree on a flatbed lorry in font of the US Capitol building

US Capitol Christmas tree arrives in DC

Blurred still image from video clips shows people being taken out of a car

Migrants asked to rate trip in smuggler review videos

John Darvall sat on the left of a composite image, in a purple studio with a microphone in front of him. On the right is Keir Starmer with grey hair and brown glasses.

PM challenged on West's councils facing bankruptcy

BBC Newsline

BBC Newsline signed summary

BBC Scotland weather presenter Christopher Blanchett in front of a weather map of Scotland showing snow warnings.

Watch the Storm Bert weather forecast for Scotland

Two men holding up a boat

Rowers give up Olympic dream to help Brazil flood victims

The athletes decided to stay in their home state of Rio Grande do Sul to help flood victims.

Latin America & Caribbean

Horse stranded on rooftop

Horse stranded on rooftop and airport floods in Brazil

Aerials show a horse stranded on a rooftop and a flooded airport in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul.

Latin America & Caribbean

Aerial image of a flooded city

Images show devastating impact of Brazil floods

Aerial footage shows devastating scenes in Brazil as landslides and massive flooding kill dozens.

Latin America & Caribbean

Madonna

Watch: Madonna free beach gig attracts 1.6m people

The concert in Brazil marked the end of the singing icon's 'Celebration' world tour.

Latin America & Caribbean

Bridge collapsing in Brazil flood

Bridge buckles and plunges into Brazil river

Footage shows a man narrowly avoiding falling into the water as a bridge gives way.

Latin America & Caribbean

A woman stands in front of a green Christ the Redeemer statue

Watch: Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue lit up green

Rio's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue has a makeover in celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Latin America & Caribbean

Bogota Aqueduct employee checks water levels

Colombians grapple with water cuts

About ten million people face water rationing as severe drought brings reservoir levels to record lows.

Latin America & Caribbean

Man standing over pile of rubbish

Watch: Guatemala landfill fire declared a disaster

Guatemala's president has declared a natural disaster as dozens of forest fires rage and a landfill site burns.

Latin America & Caribbean

Woman stealing gun from guard

Moment woman steals guard's gun and opens fire

Live-streamed footage captured the moment a detainee stole a gun from a guard and opened fire in Chile.

Latin America & Caribbean

High-speed boat chase

Cocaine haul found after high-speed boat chase

Colombian authorities seize over three tonnes of cocaine following a chase at sea, their largest haul of 2024.

Latin America & Caribbean

'Devil' whips man in Texistepeque

Watch ‘devils’ whip Catholics in Easter tradition

Men dressed as devils - "talciguines" - whip the faithful in a playful Easter tradition in El Salvador.

Latin America & Caribbean

Police officers with guns in Port-au-Prince

What next as chaos and violence engulf Haiti?

As turmoil grips the Caribbean nation, how countries from the US to Kenya react will be critical.

Latin America & Caribbean

Truck backing into Mexico National Palace door

Protesters crash truck into Mexico's National Palace

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was inside the building giving a press conference at the time.

Latin America & Caribbean

An aerial shot of a flooded city

Bolivia floods: Homes destroyed and animals rescued

The mayor of Cobija, a city in the north, declares the area a disaster zone because of heavy rain.

Latin America & Caribbean

Crowds gather to support Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro

Thousands attend Bolsonaro rally in Brazil

Brazil's former president greets supporters in Sao Paulo as an investigation continues into the 2023 storming of Congress.

Latin America & Caribbean

Volcano spewing ash and smoke over a city skyline at sunrise

Sunset video shows Mexico volcano spewing ash

A yellow alert for areas close to the volcano is currently in place, according to local media.

Latin America & Caribbean

Woman being escorted by two police officers, one dressed as a teddy bear.

Cop dressed as teddy bear pounces on Valentine’s Day

The undercover policeman showed up at the house of an alleged drug dealer, bearing a fake gift.

Latin America & Caribbean

A large group of inmates in a prison cell in El Salvador megaprison

Rare video shows inmates in their cells in El Salvador's mega-jail

The BBC goes inside controversial Salvadoran mega-jail that holds thousands of inmates.

Latin America & Caribbean

Bob Marley

The religion that shaped Bob Marley's hair

As a new film about the reggae star's life comes out, here's all you need to know about his Rastafarian faith.

Latin America & Caribbean

Giant tiger float during Carnival parade

Watch: Fireworks as giant Carnival sculptures roll through Rio

Indigenous communities were celebrated at the Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí on Sunday evening.

Latin America & Caribbean