Colombia will use drones to destroy coca crops as it grapples with record cocaine production

Colombia announced on Monday it will resume spraying coca crops with herbicide, this time using drones rather than airplanes, as the country struggles to control record-high cocaine production that has strained relations with the United States.

The South American nation had banned aerial fumigation of coca crops in 2015 after the World Health Organization classified glyphosate, the weed killer used in these operations, as a potential carcinogen. The ban came after years of environmental activists warning that aerial spraying was contaminating legal crops, waterways, and exposing rural communities to health risks.

Justice Minister Andrés Idárraga revealed at a news conference that the drone-based fumigation program will begin Thursday. The government plans to target regions where criminal organizations and rebel groups force farmers to cultivate coca, the plant used to produce cocaine.

“Our security forces will be safer” with this approach, Idárraga explained, referring to the dangers faced by manual eradication teams that have been Colombia’s primary strategy since the 2015 ban.

The shift to drones represents a significant technological adaptation in Colombia’s long-running battle against coca cultivation. According to Idárraga, the drones will operate at a maximum height of 1.5 meters (5 feet) above their targets, ensuring more precise application of herbicides and minimizing collateral environmental damage. Each drone can reportedly eradicate about one hectare of coca plants every 30 minutes.

“This is a controlled and efficient” method that “mitigates environmental risks,” the Justice Minister stated.

The drone strategy was initially proposed in 2018 during the administration of right-wing President Ivan Duque, but implementation stalled due to disagreements among government agencies and lawmakers.

Since the ban on aerial spraying, coca cultivation in Colombia has expanded dramatically. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that approximately 261,000 hectares (645,000 acres) were planted with coca in Colombia in 2024 – nearly twice the area cultivated in 2016.

Manual eradication efforts have proven increasingly difficult and dangerous for military personnel operating in remote areas controlled by drug trafficking organizations and armed groups. These regions are often defended with landmines and other security measures established by traffickers.

The administration of current leftist President Gustavo Petro initially opposed forcible eradication campaigns, arguing that such measures unfairly target impoverished farmers who grow coca because they lack legal economic alternatives. However, Petro’s stance has hardened this year as his government attempts to combat rebel groups funded by drug trafficking who have intensified attacks in Colombian cities and rejected peace initiatives.

Colombia’s shifting approach comes amid escalating tensions with the United States over drug policy. In September, the Trump administration placed Colombia on a list of nations failing to cooperate in the drug war for the first time in almost three decades – a designation that threatens millions of dollars in military and economic assistance.

U.S.-Colombia relations deteriorated further in October when Washington imposed sanctions on the Petro administration, alleging it allowed “drug cartels to flourish” in the country. More recently, the U.S. has suggested it might authorize strikes against drug traffickers operating on Colombian soil.

President Petro has strongly rejected American accusations of inaction, countering that Colombian security forces are intercepting record amounts of cocaine shipments despite the unprecedented levels of production. His administration faces the difficult challenge of reducing coca cultivation while pursuing his broader agenda of social reform and peace negotiations with armed groups.

The return to chemical eradication, albeit with more precise technology, signals Colombia’s acknowledgment of the severity of its cocaine production problem while attempting to balance environmental concerns, farmer welfare, and international pressure.