Drones Being Used to Fight Colombia's 'War on Drugs'
Marie Donlon | August 21, 2018The war on drugs is taking to the skies thanks to a new initiative being led by the Colombian government that uses drones to destroy cocaine-producing plants.
The drones, which carry herbicide, are sent to locate illegal fields where coca is being grown and, once identified, drop the herbicide, thus killing the plants and in a way that would keep damage to nearby crops to a minimum.
The Columbian police have been trained by drone company Fumi Drones SAS to operate the unmanned aircraft that they have supplied.
According to Fumi Drones Director of Operations, German Huertas, the drones have successfully eliminated roughly 90% of the coca on every acre that has been targeted during the drone trial period.
The initial test runs included 10 drones weighing just over 50 pounds each and outfitted with the herbicide glyphosate.
The measure is a significant component of President Iván Duque’s efforts to entirely eliminate cocaine production in Colombia.