Operation Selva Verde

Operation Selva Verde is a cooperative, bilateral operation between DEA's Bogota Country Office and the Colombian National Police (CNP) Anti-Narcotics Unit. The primary purpose of this operation is to locate and destroy clandestine laboratories, airstrips and storage sites. A secondary purpose is to form a strong narcotics intelligence and operational alliance between DEA and the Government of Colombia. The Bogota Country Office assists the CNP in developing and managing sources of information, as well as debriefings and payments to these individuals. In addition, DEA provides aircraft and the Air Intelligence Group as aerial intelligence platforms to support this program.

During 1996, four major HCL laboratory sites were identified and destroyed -- three of the sites were destroyed by the CNP in cooperation with the Bogota Country Office in Operation Selva Verde. The fourth site consisted of an HCL laboratory and a separate stand alone large chemical synthesis complex. This fourth laboratory site identified and destroyed by the Colombian Army after a site visit by DEA.