Property destruction: Around 18 March 2025 (as reported), in a rural area of Sardinata municipality (Norte de Santander), military forces destroyed a cocaine laboratory in the San Miguel Encerraderos vereda. The site, with a monthly production capacity of four tons of cocaine, was found to contain over 500 gallons of liquid cocaine and nearly 303 kilograms of solid cocaine. Authorities also seized more than 6,600 gallons of liquid chemicals and 800 kilos of solid chemicals used for drug production.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1) Summary On March 18, 2025, military forces in the Sardinata area of Norte de Santander, Colombia destroyed a cocaine manufacturing facility with a monthly production capacity of 4 tons. While current direct impact on supply chains is limited, illegal activities in the region may pose potential risks to logistics and transportation security.

2) Supply-chain impact

• Chemical transportation risks: Given the seizure of 6,600 gallons of liquid chemicals and 800kg of solid chemicals, transportation routes for chemicals in this region may be vulnerable to exploitation by illegal activities
• Border region logistics instability: Norte de Santander is adjacent to the Venezuelan border, potentially creating indirect impacts on cross-border trade and logistics activities
• Agricultural region transportation safety: Legitimate agricultural product transportation networks in rural Sardinata may face delays due to heightened security measures stemming from illegal activities

3) Watch points

• Whether additional military operations or security enhancement measures are announced within Norte de Santander
• Trends in transportation route changes or increased security costs among logistics companies in the region