Two narco-jets destroyed by the Venezuelan Army. Photo: IG/@dhernandezlarez.
Within the framework of Operation Vuelvan Caras, Venezuela’s Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) located and destroyed a clandestine airstrip, two aircraft, a laboratory, and a logistics center for drug processing belonging to the Colombian Armed Terrorist Narcotrafficking Groups (TANCOL).
Regarding the procedure, Strategic Operational Commander of the FANB General Domingo HernĂĄndez LĂĄrez explained that in the Los Llanos Strategic Comprehensive Defense Region, troops were deployed along the Buena Vista del Meta Elorza route. There, the “Leonardo Infante” Air and Naval Task Force located the two aircraft hidden in the forest on the clandestine runway. In the area, they also located the logistics center belonging to TANCOL, according to the FANB press release.
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“Venezuela is a land of peace, law, and justice. We do not grow, produce, or consume drug products. Any TANCOL facility or structure in Venezuelan territory will be destroyed immediately,” the FANB commander emphasized.
Three tons of super marijuana
Additionally, Venezuelan law enforcement agencies dealt a severe blow to drug traffickers by seizing 3077 kilograms of super marijuana in FalcĂłn state. In an operation carried out last Sunday, July 27, authorities arrested eight individuals, dismantling a major smuggling route.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello offered details about the operation. According to his statements, the drug traffickers believed the authorities’ attention would be on the elections, allowing them to operate with impunity. However, Venezuelan intelligence anticipated their movements. Once the route was identified, they pursued a boat equipped with four 150-horsepower engines, leading to the arrest and the subsequent seizure of the drugs. The boat was traveling from the Colombian Guajira region, following the same route used by the Gideon Operation mercenaries, demonstrating a recurring trafficking pattern in the region and the connection to far-right opposition.
The seizure of over three tons of marijuana was not an isolated incident. On his program Con el Mazo Dando, Cabello also reported on another recent operation. On Wednesday, July 30, authorities discovered and confiscated 14,000 liters of jet fuel on a clandestine airstrip in Mauroa, FalcĂłn state. This discovery underscores the sophistication of drug trafficking networks, which rely on complex logistics to operate.
The minister sent a message to criminal groups: “They will not get through here. They will have to get drug trafficking money elsewhere; it will not be through here. We are determined.” These words reflect the Venezuelan government’s determination to eradicate drug trafficking from its territory, regardless of the size or influence of the organizations involved.
In 2025, Venezuela has seized over 50 tons of cocaine, a figure that demonstrates the intensity and success of security operations. Authorities are on track to break all records for drug seizures in a single year. The message from authorities to drug traffickers is clear: “Keep trying; we will be waiting for you here.” Finally, Cabello revealed that the seized drugs were destined for Trinidad and then Europe, demonstrating the international connections of these networks. The confiscated marijuana represents a severe blow to these organizations and their global distribution chain.
(Ăltimas Noticias) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SF
