Incident Summary:
02/13/2003: A Cessna 208 single-engine aircraft which was US Government property and carrying four American contractors and a Colombian soldier, crashed in Santa Ana de las Hermosas canyon in southern Caqueta Department, Colombia, as part of US aid to Colombia's anti-drug cooperation efforts. Two were soon found by the Colombian military and shot dead execution-style --they were Thomas Janis, and Sgt. Luis Alcides Cruz of Colombia's military intelligence. The three other Americans were held as hostage. Both the Colombian and US Governments blamed FARC for the plane being shot down, the kidnapping of the passengers, and the two deaths. As of 02/13/2007, the remaining three Americans had not been released. All of the Americans were working for California Microwave Systems, a subsidiary of defense contractor Northrup Grumman, which was contracted by the US' Drug Enforcement Agency to locate coca crop sites in Colombia. FARC had offered a prisoner exchange with the Colombian Government, which both the US and Colombia refused.
Overview
GTD ID:
200302130002
When:
2003-02-13
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Caqueta
City:
Santana Las Hermosas
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Government (General) |
Name of Entity |
US Drug and Enforcement Agency (DEA) |
Specific Description |
DEA Contractors on anti-narcotics intelligence work in southern Colombia |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Target Type: Military |
Name of Entity |
Government of Colombia |
Specific Description |
Colombia Government Anti-Drug Operations in Southern Colombia |
Nationality of Target |
Colombia |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
5 |
US Hostages |
4 |
Days of Kidnapping |
1474 |
Outcome |
Combination |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
FARC had warned that the hostages would be harmed or killed if American or Colombia forces came too close to where they were being held, further reducing any chances of a rescue attempt. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
2 Fatalities |
Total Number of Fatalities |
2 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
1 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
Unknown |
Total Number of Injured |
Unknown |
Number of U.S. Injured |
Unknown |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
Unknown |
Sources
Sources
"Colombia: FARC Claim Holding Hostage Two DEA Crash Survivors," AFP, February 13, 2003. |
"Colombia: Two Aboard Crashed US 'Spy' Plane Found Dead," ACANEFE, February 15, 2003. |
Steven Dudley, "Rescuing U.S. kidnap victims in Colombia a dilemma; The anniversary of the kidnapping of three Pentagon contractors comes as Colombia debates how to retrieve them from rebels," Miami Herald, February 13, 2007. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties