Drug trafficking

Drones considered in fight to curb cocaine production

Colombia's police could start using drones to tackle a five-year surge in cocaine production that has jeopardized relations with the United States. State contracting documents show that anti-narcotics police in the South American country have hired a local company to test drones for spraying herbicides on fields of coca, the base material for cocaine.

The remote-controlled devices will be expected to eradicate 20 acres of coca per day, while carrying approximately 2 gallons of herbicide on every flight.

Coca cultivation has doubled in Colombia since 2012, and currently exceeds 188,000 hectares, according to U.S. estimates.