Attacks and surveillanceAccording to analysts, armed groups are using the aerial devices primarily for two purposes: attacks and surveillance.”They target certain infrastructure, attack police and attack the army,” Bonilla said. “But another very common use is territorial control through surveillance flights.”She points to the use of drones to survey farmland seeded with coca, the key ingredient for cocaine and a key source of revenue for armed groups.There, drones are used to monitor crops and laboratories, replacing oversight conducted on foot or by motorbike.Colombia’s armed groups have sourced their drones through a mix of online purchases — including on consumer platforms such as Amazon and Temu — as well as through urban intermediaries and cross-border smuggling. Those devices are then modified for combat.”Now they are buying commercial-type drones, like the Chinese DJI models, but not basic consumer ones, which only have a range of about three or four kilometres [1.8 to 2.5 miles],” said Camilo Mendoza, a defence analyst and author of the book Colombia Under Drone Threat.”These are larger industrial drones used for inspections, with longer range, higher ceilings and the ability to carry heavier loads.”Mendoza estimates that most can lift an average of 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds), but some can carry cargo weighing 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) or more.Some are used to haul improv …
