Behind Enemy Lines III: Colombia

Colombia is the world's second largest recipient of U.S. military aid,

receiving approximately $1 billion a year

for training and equipping the Colombian armed forces.

The revolutionary armed forces of Colombia

are Latin America's oldest, largest and best-equipped guerrilla insurgency.

Known by their Spanish acronym FARC,

they have waged a cruel,

50-year campaign of terror against the government

and the people of Colombia.

Their tactics include bombings, murder, mortar attacks, kidnapping,

extortion and hijacking.

American soldiers are frequently deployed

to assist in anti-narcotics and anti-guerrilla operations,

and the American government has posted over $70 million of reward money

for any information leading to the capture of FARC leadership.

The Colombian people frequently take to the streets

to protest the FARC's brutal methods and to call for the end to the violence

and for the release of hundreds of hostages.

Although, with its massive cocaine revenue, the FARC has been able to equip its army

with the most modern weapons of any terrorist organization in the world.

We have movement on Lago.

Principal acquired.

Flashpoint Bravo, what is your count?

We are minus two. Three minutes to full count.

Flashpoint Charlie, slow him down.

I got him, but if I engage now, this thing blows wide open.

No choice, Charlie. Move for intercept.

Copy that, Alpha.

Abort, Charlie, abort!

First rule of engagement, always know your target.

All right, Charlie, that's going to take him five.

Proceed to jump point.

- Bang! Surprise!

Hey, special delivery for that old bastard.

We got you something else. - Where is she?

God bless "America".

Yeah, baby.

Very nice. Very nice.

For he's a jolly good fellow

For he's a jolly good fellow

For he's a jolly good fellow

Which nobody can deny

Which nobody can deny Which nobody can deny

- That wasn't supposed to happen. Again?

Derricks, what the hell is wrong with you, man?

Don't get hot about it, all right?

Least the brew is cold.

Cheers. That's a small drink.

- One more thing! All right.

In order to maintain the element of surprise

when surveilling from a tall structure, make sure to watch your shadow-throw

so as not to reveal your position.

- Tomas? - Tomas!

Maria!

- Good morning, sir. - Morning.

Still got you at the desk, Commander?

Fastest way to kill a SEAL is give him some pencils to push.

I'd rather be pinned down in a fire fight any day.

Some of us are just born to it.

Let's get out of this prison cell.

What do you know about Colombia? Specifically the FARC?

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia?

The most powerful, most dangerous Communist guerrilla force on the planet.

They have territorial control of almost half the country.

Been at war with the Colombian government for 40 years.

NSA intel has the FARC responsible for this. They kill about 3,000 Colombians a year.

They stay funded by protecting the cartel drug operations down there.

Right. People up here buy their drugs,

and that money keeps these guys in bullets and body bags.

- Exactly. - So what's the Op?

Operation Ghost Watch. Strictly recon.

NSA Keyhole picked this up in the deep jungle outside of Puerto Limon.

It's about 150 klicks south of Bogota.

Now, this...

One month ago.

This, yesterday.

Roughly triple the under-roof capacity.

So these guys are either storing up the coke for a long winter,

or prepping for a serious rumble in the jungle.

Exactly. Our job is to find out which.

We got it on good intel, something major is going down tomorrow morning.

We're going to ghost in, see what's what.

Go in with cameras rolling, get it all on tape.

Wait, wait, wait. You say tomorrow morning?

Yeah. That's right. We're running this Op in the daylight.

We're all for catching some rays, LT, but that's coloring way outside the lines.

Got no choice.

They want eyes on the action. Not before. Not after.

- Questions? - Yeah.

What about the Colombians? We're not jointing with them?

Negative.

FARC's got too many hooks in with the National Army,

and a lot of Ops already have been blown because of tip offs,

which is why we're going to mission-plan in the air and helo into the Rio Ariari.

Should be fun. Wheels-up 1700 hours.

- Yeah. - Yes.

Sir, given the extreme sensitivity of this mission,

I believe it is my sworn duty to respectfully inform you

that you are now much too ancient

to effectively lead this team behind enemy lines.

My ancient memory recalls something about me almost tackling you to get you from

ringing that bell at the end of BUDS training.

Okay? Who's dragged you out of half a dozen bar fights?

That would be you.

Who's got your back 24/7?

Who makes sure that you come home alive all the time?

- That would be you. - You're damn skippy.

See you guys on the tarmac.

Copy that, LT.

New intel says that it might be a meet between FARC and Colombian sympathizers.

Now, you have evac here, 20 klicks east.

Safe location and DEA contact here if you need it.

Now keep in mind, FARC's not just some hillbilly rebel insurgency.

They don't play.

Every year we pump half a billion bucks of military aid into the region,

and the guerrillas are still coming.

They are heavily armed and well trained,

and we're playing in their sandbox. Stay frosty and get ready.

We are entering drop zone.

Word is, Ghost Watch is a go.

Stay on your triggers and watch your back.

- I will see you at happy hour. - The only easy day...

- Was yesterday! Was yesterday!

Green light. Green light. - Give it some!

Prepare to release.

Now!

Stingray Alpha, rally point Bravo.

Careful with these vid packs. Had to sign for these babies.

Vid on.

Weapons hot.

Commander, Stingray insertion is green, en route to target.

Let me know when you have visual.

Yes, sir.

Hi, Commander.

Like what we did with the place? Used to be a radio station.

Works for me.

Nicole Jennings, U.S. Embassy liaison.

Visuals coming up now, sir.

Your boys better stay invisible.

The Colombian government catches wind of this unauthorized operation on their soil,

and you will devastate our anti-drug relations.

CIA pulled up a name, Carlos Rivera.

But they think he's been bought by the FARC.

He set up the factory bombings in Bogota.

And he's got a handler, codename Apotequil.

Nothing blowing.

Switching to spectra.

Got something.

About 10 meters out, 1 o'clock.

Looks like they're paranoid. Stay alert.

Magnetic AT-12 mine, Cuban-made.

It's old.

Do the job.

They're not messing around.

Rendered it inop. Repeat. Repeat.

Inop.

Stingray's in the objective perimeter, sir.

Looks like we're losing the satellite, sir.

Get it back.

Working on it, sir. Trying to get another bird.

Find someone with another sat.

Turn starboard.

We're ghosts here, boys, spirits of this jungle. You copy?

This is it. I want overwatch in five.

I am on it.

Spectra is on and recording.

All right. We eyeball what they got in their cookie jar,

we catch it on tape, make it back in time for two-for-one beers, on me.

Stingray Delta. Ready to move. How's the neighborhood?

Quiet streets, good schools, no nosey neighbors.

Switching to EM.

Clear on cams, no infrared trip-lines, no motion sensors.

Going to thermal.

We have got 25 sparks inside, fairly clustered.

All the guards have two-ways, RF short range.

Copy that.

- Door is open. - Alpha advancing.

See you around the punch bowl, boys.

Stingray Echo, hold your position. Bogey in truck.

Stingray Echo, watch your six, you don't want to get splashed.

He's wearing Colombian Army fatigues.

The Colombians are compromised. Let's go.

Tango-niner, I am looking at MREs. Great for waging war on your stomach.

Nothing suspicious.

Affirmative. FARC soldier at Tango-one. Something feels off about all this.

Delta, what's the count?