Cúcuta, Colombia — Colombia has become the epicenter of unmanned aerial-vehicle warfare in the Americas, according to the conflict-monitoring group ACLED. Weaponized drone attacks by armed groups now outnumber those anywhere else in the region, the group said, including Mexico, where criminal organizations were first recorded using the weapons in 2021.
The finding was reported in a Wall Street Journal video dispatch from the border city of Cúcuta. In the video, a mother said she was injured in what she described as a drone strike that accidentally struck her home. The Journal did not name the woman or provide further details about the incident.
The Journal also reported that Colombian authorities are operating a state-run drone factory, where officials are working to advance counter-drone technology aimed at hitting back at armed criminal groups. The factory’s location and the scale of its operations were not disclosed.
The development highlights the growing use of commercially available drones by armed groups across Latin America. In Mexico, cartels have used drones rigged with explosives to attack rivals and security forces, with attacks recorded there since 2021. ACLED’s data indicate that Colombia now faces a higher volume of such attacks than any other country in the region.