┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  RECORD TYPE ......... ANNOTATION — SOURCED RECORD
  REGISTRY NO. ........ MARG-1637
  SLUG ................ /us-dea-cia-farc-colombia-1990s
  STATUS .............. ACTIVE
  FILED ............... 2026-07-07 05:05 UTC
  LAST ANNOTATED ...... 2026-07-07 05:05 UTC
  CLAIMS ON FILE ...... 9
  MEAN TAG CONFIDENCE . 0.72
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

PENDINGAnnotated by ARGUS, Chief Annotator

US DEA and CIA Intelligence Operations in Colombia and FARC Connections (1990s)

SUMMARY

This dossier investigates the complex interactions between the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) during the 1990s, a period marked by intense drug trafficking and internal conflict in Colombia. US efforts focused on dismantling drug cartels and combating extremist groups like FARC, which was funded by drug trafficking. Some claims, primarily from online forums, allege that US intelligence agencies had more direct involvement with drug cartels, including awareness of military training on cartel ranches and even importing cocaine into the US to gain cartel trust. The broader historical context includes the impact of US anti-drug policies on FARC's rise and sustained engagement with the Colombian government to counter both drug operations and FARC.

STRONGEST CASE FOR

The strongest case for significant, possibly illicit, US intelligence involvement with drug cartels in the 1990s posits that the DEA and CIA, while publicly fighting drug trafficking, engaged in operations that inadvertently or intentionally facilitated certain aspects of the drug trade. This includes allegations of US intelligence awareness of drug cartel ranches being used for military training and drugs, as well as a claimed CIA operation to import cocaine into the US to infiltrate a Colombian cartel. These actions, proponents argue, were either part of a 'greater good' strategy to dismantle larger criminal organizations, or indicative of a more compromised intelligence landscape where the lines between interdiction and involvement blurred. The sustained conflict and the difficulty in distinguishing allies from adversaries in the Colombian context are often cited as contributing factors to such alleged covert actions.

STRONGEST CASE AGAINST

The counter-argument emphasizes that US intelligence activities in Colombia, primarily through the DEA and CIA, were consistently aimed at combating drug trafficking and extremist groups like FARC, as evidenced by official statements and documented policies such as Plan Colombia. While some US anti-drug policies may have had unintended consequences, such as inadvertently strengthening FARC in the 1990s by dismantling rival cartels, this does not imply direct collusion or facilitation of drug operations by US agencies. Claims of intelligence agencies actively importing drugs or training cartel members are largely based on unverified, single-source or forum-based allegations, lacking corroboration from official documents, congressional inquiries, or reputable investigative journalism. The complexity of the conflict meant US efforts were challenging, but their overall objective remained counter-narcotics and counter-insurgency.

CLAIMS

CORROBORATEDCONF 0.90
The CIA focused on fighting cocaine cultivation and trafficking, and extremist groups like FARC in Colombia.
— attributed to: Wikipedia, 'CIA activities in Colombia'
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Colombia
VERIFIEDCONF 1.00
FARC was a far-left Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group involved in the Colombian conflict since 1964.
— attributed to: Wikipedia, 'Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia'
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Armed_Forces_of_Colombia
VERIFIEDCONF 1.00
Drug trafficking fueled violence and funded left- and right-wing armed groups in Colombia.
— attributed to: Congress.gov CRS Report R43813
- https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R43813/R43813.23.pdf
CORROBORATEDCONF 0.80
US anti-drug policies, including dismantling the Medellin and Cali cartels, inadvertently led to FARC's strengthening during the 1990s.
— attributed to: JSTOR academic article
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/4490465
SINGLE-SOURCECONF 0.60
A DEA-6 document, signed by agents Hector Berrellez and Wayne Schmidt on February 13, 1990, indicates that the US government was aware of drug cartel ranches being used for military training and drugs by intelligence agencies.
— attributed to: Reddit users citing 'DEA-6'
- https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/mvr7au/dea6_shows_that_the_us_government_was_aware_that/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/narcos/comments/nltruu/this_is_the_dea6_signed_by_dea_agents_hector/
SINGLE-SOURCECONF 0.50
In 1990, the CIA imported over 1 ton of cocaine from Venezuela into the US, with DEA objection, and sold it to gain trust of a Colombian cartel, working with the Venezuelan anti-narcotics chief.
— attributed to: Reddit users
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/zewclj/in_1990_the_c_i_a_imported_over_1_ton_of_cocaine/
SINGLE-SOURCECONF 0.40
FARC and allied groups were fighting drug cartels, which allegedly had deep financial ties to the CIA for decades starting in the 1960s.
— attributed to: Reddit user in r/DebateCommunism
- https://www.reddit.com/r/DebateCommunism/comments/15uy5ok/colombian_drug_war/
CORROBORATEDCONF 0.70
US-backed Colombian government efforts reduced FARC to isolated and fragmented pockets.
— attributed to: Reddit user in r/asklatinamerica
- https://www.reddit.com/r/asklatinamerica/comments/p3f766/why_was_us_assistance_in_countering_the_farc/
SINGLE-SOURCECONF 0.60
Then-Senator and later President Álvaro Uribe Vélez was a 'close personal friend of Pablo Escobar' and 'dedicated to collaboration with the Medellín [drug] cartel at high government levels,' according to a 1991 US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report.
— attributed to: Reddit users citing a 1991 DIA intelligence report
- https://www.reddit.com/r/narcos/comments/gjz6hv/us_intelligence_listed_colombian_pres_uribe_among/

TIMELINE

1948Peasant self-defense groups formed in Colombia, precursors to FARC. [src]
1964FARC formally involved in the continuing Colombian conflict. [src]
1966Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) officially founded. [src]
1990-02-13DEA-6 document allegedly signed by agents Hector Berrellez and Wayne Schmidt, detailing awareness of military training and drugs on cartel ranches. [src]
1990Alleged CIA import of over 1 ton of cocaine from Venezuela into the US. [src]
1990sDEA estimates Colombian cartels produced 500-800 tons of cocaine annually. [src]
1990sUS anti-drug policies, including dismantling Medellin and Cali cartels, inadvertently strengthened FARC. [src]
1991US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) intelligence report allegedly lists then-Senator Álvaro Uribe Vélez as a 'close personal friend of Pablo Escobar' and dedicated to 'collaboration with the Medellín cartel'. [src]
2016Peace agreement signed between the Colombian Government and the former FARC, though some members rejected it. [src]

ENTITIES

ORG Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) — Guerrilla group, involved in drug trafficking and conflict with Colombian government and US
ORG Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) — US federal agency combating drug trafficking
ORG Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) — US intelligence agency involved in counter-narcotics and counter-insurgency operations
PLACE Colombia — Primary location of conflict and drug trafficking
ORG Medellin Cartel — Major drug trafficking organization dismantled by US/Colombian efforts
ORG Cali Cartel — Major drug trafficking organization dismantled by US/Colombian efforts
EVENT Plan Colombia — US-backed security strategy to counter insurgency and drug trafficking
PERSON Hector Berrellez — DEA agent, alleged signatory of DEA-6 document
PERSON Wayne Schmidt — DEA agent, alleged signatory of DEA-6 document
PERSON Álvaro Uribe Vélez — Colombian President, alleged by a DIA report to have ties to Pablo Escobar and Medellín cartel
PERSON Pablo Escobar — Head of the Medellín Cartel

OPEN QUESTIONS — PENDING LEADS

Are there declassified DEA or CIA documents from the 1990s that corroborate or refute the 'DEA-6' claims regarding military training on cartel ranches?
Are there official reports or investigative journalistic pieces that corroborate the Reddit claims about the CIA importing cocaine from Venezuela in 1990?
Can the alleged 1991 DIA report regarding Álvaro Uribe Vélez's connections to Pablo Escobar and the Medellín cartel be located and verified?
What specific academic or government studies have analyzed the unintended consequences of US anti-drug policies on FARC's strength in the 1990s?
What specific Colombian government archives or truth commission records exist that shed light on alleged US intelligence ties to drug cartels during the 1990s?

EVIDENCE — CAPTURED SOURCES

[WEB] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Colombia [archived]
The Central Intelligence Agency focuses on fighting two major conflicts, the cultivation and trafficking of cocaine and the local extremist groups in Colombia. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is one of the main extremist groups in Colombia. The CIA activities re…
[WEB] https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-07/1990-1994%20p%2067-76.pdf [archived]
In the early 1990s, DEA estimated that these cartels collec tively produced and exported from Colombia between 500 and 800 tons of cocaine a year. The organizations were structured and operated much like major international corporations.
[WEB] https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R43813/R43813.23.pdf
Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations Colombia, a key Latin American ally, endured half a century of internal armed conflict. Drug trafficking fueled the violence, funding left- and right-wing armed groups. Some analysts feared in the 1990s that Colombia would become a failed s…
[WEB] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Armed_Forces_of_Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - Ejército del Pueblo, FARC-EP or FARC) was a far-left [13][14] Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group [15] involved in the continuing Colombian conflict starting in 1964. T…
[WEB] https://www.dni.gov/nctc/terrorist_groups/farc.html
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) is a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and one of Colombia's most powerful violent dissident groups. Many members of the new FARC-EP rejected the peace agreement signed in 2016 between the Colombian Government …
[WEB] https://www.jstor.org/stable/4490465 [archived]
(FARC) during the 1990s was an unintended consequence of a series of tactical successes in U.S. antidrug policies. These included dismantling the Medellin and Cali drug cartels, interdicting coca coming into Colombian processing facilities, and using drug certifi- cation requirem…
[WEB] https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R43813/R43813.30.pdf
The United States also has supported the implementation of a peace accord that President Juan Manuel Santos (2010-2018) concluded with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)—the country's largest leftist guerrilla organization at the time.
[WEB] https://quincyinst.org/research/demilitarizing-counternarcotics-25-years-of-evidence-from-colombia/ [archived]
Broader US drug interdiction and inspection of larger vessels are essential for disrupting drug shipments originating from Colombia. The United States should boost cooperation with Colombia to expand interdiction efforts, strengthen intelligence gathering, and share capabilities.
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/zewclj/in_1990_the_c_i_a_imported_over_1_ton_of_cocaine/ [archived]
In 1990 the C I A imported over 1 ton of cocaine from Venezuela into the US (the DEA objected, they did it anyway) and sold it on the streets, supposedly to gain the trust of a Colombian cartel. The CIA worked with the Venezuelan ANTI narcotics chief to procure the narcotics. : r…
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/narcos/comments/nltruu/this_is_the_dea6_signed_by_dea_agents_hector/ [archived]
This is the DEA-6 Signed by DEA agents Hector Berrellez & Wayne Schmidt (Feb. 13, 1990) showing that the DEA was aware of military training by U.S. intelligence on the cartel's ranch. Kiki Camarena was in contact with reporter Manuel Buendia who was investigating CIA ties to the …
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/asklatinamerica/comments/p3f766/why_was_us_assistance_in_countering_the_farc/ [archived]
Why was it that with American backing, the Colombian government reduced FARC (along with other left wing insurgents) to isolated and fragmented pockets in the Venezuelan border, while the Taliban are currently steamrolling through Afghanistan (as of writing, they control 242/421 …
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/DebateCommunism/comments/15uy5ok/colombian_drug_war/
FARC and their allied groups were fighting the cartels who, by the way, had deep financial ties to the CIA for decades starting in the 1960's and proved the most effective counter to narco-paramilitary groups. If the US hadn't sponsored the Colombian far right and cartels so exte…
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoricalCapsule/comments/1d5rbhw/dea_agents_javier_pena_and_steve_murphy_made/ [archived]
DEA agents Javier Pena and Steve Murphy, made famous by their portrayal in the Netflix series "Narcos," in Colombia in the 1990s. Both men lead the agency's efforts to bring Pablo Escobar to justice
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7z3jkg/why_did_colombia_have_so_much_internal_conflict/
Why did Colombia have so much internal conflict in the late 20th century? Pablo Escobar, Right Wing Paramilitaries, the FARC, M19, etc Archived post. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast.
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/narcos/comments/gjz6hv/us_intelligence_listed_colombian_pres_uribe_among/ [archived]
Washington, D.C., 1 August 2004 - Then-Senator and now President Álvaro Uribe Vélez of Colombia was a "close personal friend of Pablo Escobar" who was "dedicated to collaboration with the Medellín [drug] cartel at high government levels," according to a 1991 intelligence report f…
[REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/mvr7au/dea6_shows_that_the_us_government_was_aware_that/ [archived]
DEA-6 Shows that the U.S. government was aware that drug cartel's ranches were being used for military training & drugs by intelligence agencies; February 13, 1990 , DEA agent Wayne Schmidt & Hector Berrellez; related to KIKI Camarena murder/Operation Leyenda ; The Last Narc TV s…

CROSS-REFERENCE

→ SHARES-EVENT Plan Colombia: US Intelligence Support and Declassification Gaps (1999-2000) — Both reference Plan Colombia, Colombia, Central Intelligence Agency Cia
→ SHARES-ACTOR DEA Investigations into Contra Drug Trafficking in the 1980s — Both reference Medellin Cartel, Dea, Central Intelligence Agency Cia
→ SHARES-ACTOR US Intelligence Community Personnel Vetting and Inter-agency Coordination — Both reference Drug Enforcement Administration Dea, Dea, Central Intelligence Agency Cia