Head of Colombia's intelligence service says working 'hand in hand' with CIA despite row between presidents of two countries

(Patria) - The head of Colombia's spy agency told AFP on Friday that intelligence sharing with the CIA and other US agencies is 'completely fluid' despite a row between the two countries' leaders.

'They cooperate a lot, and so do we,' said Jorge Lemus, head of the National Intelligence Directorate, in a rare interview, trying to avoid discussing a break with the US spy agency.

Decades of close security cooperation between Colombia and the United States were disrupted last month when Washington imposed sanctions on Gustavo Petro, accusing the leftist president and former guerrilla of aiding drug traffickers.

Petro responded by criticising the 'murder' by Donald Trump of alleged human traffickers in the Caribbean Sea and stating that Colombia would no longer share intelligence with the US.

But Lemus's comments are the first high-level confirmation that intelligence cooperation continues unabated despite the diplomatic bitterness.

Lemus said Colombia had destroyed 10,000 cocaine laboratories this year and that operations were still being carried out 'many times together with them, hand in hand with them'.
Experts have warned that a halt in intelligence cooperation could lead to an increase in cocaine exports to the United States and strengthen the hand of cartels.

Several former Colombian military and intelligence chiefs told AFP that Petro's threat to cut off intelligence sharing was 'absurd' and 'makes no sense'.
A former US intelligence official said that information gathered by Colombian officers from people on the ground was often vital to supporting US wiretapping and satellite intelligence.

Lemus insisted that cooperation continues 'not only with the CIA, but with all agencies, and they have different ones. With all US intelligence agencies it remains completely fluid,' he said. 'We continue as before,' he added. 'After all, we are both fighting drug trafficking.'

No leaks from the CIA

Lemus, himself a former guerrilla, was appointed by Petro earlier this year. In recent weeks, his powerful agency has been rocked by allegations that a senior spy was in collusion with guerrilla groups, helping them buy weapons and avoid detection.

Lemus told AFP that the operative in question, Wilmar Mejia, has been suspended from duty pending an investigation.

At the same time, he claimed that Mejia was an excellent spy who rose quickly through the ranks and that the evidence against him may have been 'staged'.

Local media published alleged conversations between Mejia, a military general, and a guerrilla commander of a FARC splinter group that opposed the 2016 peace process.

A report by Caracol TV alleged that Mejia worked with the rebels to set up a security company that allowed them to travel undetected in armoured vehicles and carry weapons.

Petro claimed the information was false, accusing the CIA of being behind the leaks.
Lemus denied CIA involvement and said Petro 'may have received inaccurate information'.

'No, we do not support (this accusation), and the president also knows that this issue comes from other sources.'