Colombia’s intelligence agency DAS was actively involved in the
trafficking of drugs to the U.S. by paramilitary organization AUC.
President Alvaro Uribe was aware of the cooperation, Noticias Uno
reported based on a testimony by a key witness in the case against a
former DAS director.
According to the newscast, the testimony of the intelligence agency former ICT director, Rafael Garcia, the former director of the DAS, Jorge Noguera, was personally in charge of the contacts with paramilitaries and made personal contact with Mexican drug traffickers to make sure the drugs were sent to the U.S.
In the testimony, Garcia said that the President knew of the DAS’ ties to the paramilitaries and approved it.
According to the former official, on his first day in office “the President met with politicians close to the [AUC’s] Northern Bloc and an assistant of [paramilitary warlord] Jorge 40.”
Uribe also knew about the coalition the paramilitaries made with the intelligence agency for drug trafficking, Garcia told prosecutors. “Uribe knew and approved of the existence of this illegal network and the criminal activities we were engaged in.”
“Jorge Noguera took me to the Presidency where we came in without any registration and we were with the President, who confirmed the order that we handed over information to the paramilitaries,” Garcia testified.
With the blessing of the President, Noguera made contact with Mexican drug lords and secured the entry of drug money into Colombia.
Noguera is currently in jail on suspicion of having had ties to the AUC and using the now demobilized paramilitaries for political murders. Garcia’s testimony was sent to the U.S. where it will be evaluated by prosecutors in charge of criminal charges against Colombian drug lords.
