Drone Attack Downs Colombian Police Black Hawk Helicopter, Killing 12 Officers

A Colombian police Black Hawk helicopter was brought down by an armed group using a drone, killing 12 officers in the latest escalation of drone-enabled violence against the country’s security forces. The helicopter was struck Thursday morning near Amalfi, in Antioquia province, by a drone operated by a cocaine-trafficking militia, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Drone-Enabled Militias Escalate Attacks

Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez mourned the fallen officers, calling them “heroes who gave their lives for Colombia.” This incident marks the deadliest drone strike yet in Colombia, underscoring the increasingly lethal role of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the nation’s decades-long conflict.

Since April of last year, Colombian military officials report 301 drone attacks targeting security forces, most concentrated in the coca-producing provinces of Cauca and Norte de Santander. These drone strikes, often launched by heavily armed militias competing over cocaine routes, have killed at least 22 soldiers and police officers before this week’s tragedy.

Cheap Technology with Catastrophic Impact

Evan Ellis, a Latin America scholar at the U.S. Army War College, highlighted how adaptable commercial drones have become for armed groups.

“It’s becoming a bigger and bigger problem,” Ellis said. “These are technologies you just can’t contain… as the knowledge frontier expands, it’s really difficult to say, ‘These certain technologies, you can’t have access to.’”

With Colombia producing record levels of cocaine and coca, illegal armed groups now rely on drone technology not just for surveillance, but also for direct attacks against helicopters, police bases, and rival militias.

The Role of Militia Groups

Officials identified the group behind Thursday’s attack as a militia led by Alexander Díaz Mendoza, known as “Calarcá,” made up of former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels who refused to disarm after the 2016 peace deal. Antioquia’s governor Andrés Julián Rendón said, “This is the first drone attack we’ve heard of in Antioquia. These are wealthy criminals, emboldened, showing off new uniforms and state-of-the-art weapons.”

The Black Hawk’s downing highlights the growing reach of the Clan del Golfo and dissident factions of the FARC, who dominate not only the cocaine trade but also illegal gold mining across the northwest.

Wider Wave of Violence

Thursday’s drone strike was one of multiple violent incidents in Colombia. Hours later, in Cali, the EMC drug group detonated a truck bomb that killed five civilians and injured dozens, according to military officials. Both attacks illustrate the challenges Colombian President Gustavo Petro faces as he pursues peace talks with armed groups, even as they expand their territorial and technological power.

DroneXL’s Take

This tragic incident underscores the dark side of drone proliferation. Commercially available UAVs, once viewed primarily as tools for photography, agriculture, or infrastructure inspection, are now being weaponized to devastating effect by criminal groups. The downing of a Black Hawk—a workhorse of modern counterinsurgency efforts—demonstrates just how vulnerable even advanced aircraft can be to small, inexpensive drones.

For drone professionals worldwide, this raises urgent questions: How can regulators, manufacturers, and security forces better prevent misuse, without stifling beneficial commercial applications? Should counter-drone technology be prioritized in both military and civilian aviation spaces?

As drone technology continues to spread, the balance between open innovation and security restrictions remains unsettled. What do you think—can governments actually contain weaponized drone use, or will countermeasures always lag behind? Share your thoughts in the comments below.