Gaddis, who once served as a DEA regional director of operations in Colombia, frequently referred to the AUC as a “drug trafficking” or “narcoterrorist” organization. He provided a brief history of the AUC and its rise to prominence in the drug trade following the death of Pablo Escobar, the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel.
After Escobar’s death, a new cocaine market emerged, and the AUC’s predecessor, Autodefensas Campesinas de Córdoba y Urabá (ACCU), resumed operations. The Castaño brothers, former allies of Escobar who had a falling out with him, formed the ACCU and later the AUC. They leveraged modern technology and chemists to enhance cocaine production, establishing the AUC as a formidable cocaine trafficking organization.
Gaddis testified that the AUC frequently clashed with the leftist guerrilla group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) over control of coca-growing territories. He described the region as a “war zone.”
He detailed the AUC’s cocaine distribution network, stating that the group received about $22,000 per kilogram of cocaine once it reached the U.S. market. The drug was shipped via various methods, including planes, freighters, speed boats, and submarines. Gaddis emphasized that many cargo companies, including FedEx, were victimized by drug traffickers.
