Colombia Says 125 Tons of Cocaine Seized Since August
COLOMBIA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —The country Colombia, led since 7 August 2026 by conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella, who replaced the leftist Gustavo Petro.
- —What happened In a televised address on Monday 12 October, De la Espriella reported his government’s security results and pitched an Anti-Terrorism Statute.
- —The cocaine figure About 125 metric tons of cocaine seized since 7 August, plus more than 32,000 arrests and 33 armed-group leaders hit, by the government’s count.
- —The bill An Anti-Terrorism Statute with a public list of terrorist groups and asset freezes; its draft cites US sanctions and terror lists as a reference.
- —Energy warning He warned of a power rationing risk from El Niño and set a 31 December deadline for a plan to boost thermal power.
- —What comes next Marches are called for Wednesday 14 October. The statutory bill needs an absolute majority in Congress and prior review by the Constitutional Court.
Colombia seized about 125 metric tons of cocaine in its new president’s first two months, Abelardo de la Espriella said on Monday 12 October. It is a number aimed at Washington, which has long funded Colombia’s fight against cocaine trafficking.
In the same address, the conservative president pitched an Anti-Terrorism Statute that would create a public list of terrorist groups and freeze their assets. The draft takes the US Treasury’s sanctions list and Washington’s terrorist designations as its reference, according to its explanatory memorandum.
What the President Announced on 12 October
De la Espriella covered eight topics in the address, according to La Silla Vacía, a Colombian news site. They ranged from El Niño and earthquake reconstruction to security, the anti-terror bill and the 14 October marches.
La Silla Vacía and the news site Infobae both reported his security balance since he took office on 7 August 2026. Both give about 125 tons of cocaine seized and more than 32,000 arrests.
“In these two months we have hit 33 leaders of narco-terrorist organisations,” he said, as quoted by Infobae. La Silla Vacía reported the same figure of 33 leaders.
“We are hitting drug trafficking harder than ever,” De la Espriella added, according to Infobae. He called the results proof that “narco-terrorism” no longer finds a state willing to negotiate over territory, La Silla Vacía reported.
His predecessor, the leftist Gustavo Petro (2022–2026), pursued peace talks with several armed groups. De la Espriella has replaced that approach with air strikes and arrests, such as the strike that killed four FARC dissidents in Catatumbo.
The Anti-Terrorism Statute and the US Model
The president compared the statute to pandemic vaccines and said existing laws were not enough, La Silla Vacía reported. He said the bill creates a register of terrorist organisations, freezes their assets and bars them from state contracts.
It also sets severe penalties for drone attacks and punishes mob attacks on soldiers and police, both outlets reported. Those who finance terrorism through drug trafficking or illegal mining face punishment, and informants who talk before indictment get shorter sentences.
The financial daily Portafolio reviewed the 116-page draft on 8 October. Groups on the list would have their funds and bank accounts frozen and lose access to public contracts and subsidies.
Colombia’s National Security Council would decide who goes on the list, on the advice of a technical panel. That panel includes the Justice and Foreign ministries, the Attorney General’s Office and the financial intelligence unit.
Portafolio reported that the explanatory memorandum cites the list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the US Treasury’s sanctions office. It also cites the US State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organization designations.
Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara leads the bill. “The only ones who should fear it are the terrorist organisations,” he wrote on X, as quoted by La Silla Vacía on 8 October.
Power Rationing Risk and the 14 October Marches
On energy, De la Espriella blamed the Petro government for leaving no thermal backup plan, Infobae reported. The weather institute Ideam expects El Niño to intensify through the first quarter of 2027, lowering reservoir levels.
Lower reservoirs leave less water for hydroelectric dams, which is why El Niño raises the risk of power rationing. He asked Congress, with an urgency message, to move extra 2026 budget money to El Niño and thermal plants, La Silla Vacía reported.
A rapid-response team must set concrete measures to boost thermal generation by 31 December, both outlets reported. Our earlier report showed what an hour of power rationing would cost Colombia.
He also defended a decree he signed to regulate street protest ahead of marches called for Wednesday 14 October. Peaceful marches will be protected, but violence, using children or blocking essential services will be prosecuted, Infobae reported.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the cocaine figure is Bogotá’s main argument in its security partnership with Washington. A terror list modelled on US tools could also bring Colombian and US sanctions on armed groups closer together.
Travellers in Bogotá and other cities should expect marches and possible road or bus disruption on Wednesday 14 October. Businesses and investors should watch for power-saving measures if reservoirs fall in the coming months.
What Is Not Known
No date has been given for the bill’s formal filing in Congress, and its final text may still change. The Criminal Policy Council, an advisory body, moved its review of the draft to 15 October.
It is not yet known which groups would go on the list first. The cocaine and arrest figures come from the government’s own balance, and no independent audit of them has been published.
More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cocaine did Colombia seize under De la Espriella?
His government reported about 125 metric tons between 7 August and the address on 12 October 2026. The figure comes from the government’s own balance.
What is Colombia’s Anti-Terrorism Statute?
It is a bill that would create a public register of terrorist organisations, freeze their assets and bar them from state contracts. It also toughens sentences for drone attacks and attacks on security forces.
Is the bill modelled on US law?
Its explanatory memorandum cites the US Treasury’s OFAC sanctions list and US Foreign Terrorist Organization designations as references, according to Portafolio. It is a Colombian law and needs approval by Colombia’s Congress.
Will Colombia ration electricity?
Not for now, but the president warned of a rationing risk from the El Niño weather pattern. He set a 31 December deadline for a plan to boost thermal power plants.
Sources: La Silla Vacía, ‘Alocución presidencial: energía, seguridad, Estatuto Antiterrorista, Marchas’, 12 October 2026; Infobae Colombia, De la Espriella warns of power rationing risk and presents security balance, 13 October 2026; Portafolio, how the Anti-Terrorism Statute’s list of terrorist groups would work, 8 October 2026; La Silla Vacía, Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara on the scope of the Anti-Terrorism Statute, 8 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief