The Colombian Air Force intelligence unit deactivated a homemade drone loaded with explosives found near the Bogotá River this week [1].
The discovery highlights a significant security breach near critical infrastructure, as the device was positioned to potentially target a strategic military installation.
Officials located the device on the banks of the Bogotá River. The drone was positioned between five [2] and six [1] kilometers from both the El Dorado International Airport and the CATAM military base. The proximity of the device to these high-security zones suggests a coordinated attempt to bypass perimeter defenses.
The device was loaded with C4 explosives [2]. Intelligence reports indicate the drone was an artisanal build, designed to deliver a lethal payload to its target. Security forces moved to neutralize the threat before the device could be detonated.
Authorities said the fabrication of the drone was the work of the Carlos Patiño structure, a faction of the FARC dissidents [1], [2]. This group is believed to have intended the device for an attack against the CATAM military base. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for such attacks represents a shift in the tactical capabilities of dissident groups operating within the region.
The operation to recover and deactivate the drone was carried out by the Inteligencia de la Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC) [1]. The recovery of the device allows investigators to analyze the technical specifications of the drone, and the origin of the C4 used in the payload.
“The drone was positioned between five and six kilometers from both the El Dorado International Airport and the CATAM military base.”
The use of C4-loaded artisanal drones by FARC dissidents marks an escalation in the technical sophistication of asymmetric warfare in Colombia. By targeting a military base in such close proximity to a major international airport, the Carlos Patiño structure demonstrates an ability to penetrate high-security zones, forcing the Colombian military to reassess its aerial defense and counter-drone protocols around urban strategic assets.
