President Extends U.S. Drug Interdiction Support to Colombia
The determination, dated August 3 2026, authorizes continued U.S. assistance for aircraft interdiction against drug trafficking in Colombian airspace.
On August 3, 2026, the President issued Presidential Determination No. 2026-20, continuing U.S. drug interdiction assistance to the Government of Colombia. The determination appears in Federal Register Vol. 91, No. 152, page 51547, FR Doc No. 2026-16312, filed August 7, 2026.
The President certified that (1) interdiction of aircraft reasonably suspected to be primarily engaged in illicit drug trafficking in Colombia's airspace is necessary because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to that country's national security, and (2) Colombia has appropriate procedures in place to protect against innocent loss of life, including effective means to identify and warn an aircraft before force is directed against it.
The action is taken under the authority vested by the Constitution, applicable statutes, and specifically section 1012 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2291-4). The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to publish the determination in the Federal Register and to notify Congress of this determination.
The memorandum is addressed to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of War, indicating that both the State Department and the Department of Defense are to implement the continuation of assistance. No specific funding levels or operational details are disclosed in the determination.
By reaffirming the continuation of interdiction assistance, the determination sustains the United States' commitment to counter drug trafficking that threatens Colombian national security and fulfills the statutory requirement to inform Congress of the ongoing program.