SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT OF GO FAST BOATS IN COLOMBIA

Abstract

The study analyzes the socioeconomic impact of maritime drug trafficking using fast Go-Fast Boat in Colombia during 2024, using official data on seizures and arrests. The results show that this was the most frequent modality, with 75 events resulting in the seizure of over 92 tons of drugs and estimated losses of 110 million dollars for organized crime. The arrests (193) involved Colombians and foreigners equally, and the activity was geographically concentrated in nodes in the Caribbean and the Pacific.

This modality has a profound impact, sustained by its high profitability and the significant state investment required to combat it. Areas such as Buenaventura, the Gulf of Urabá, and Barranquilla are critical hotspots demanding social and economic interventions to reduce dependence on the illicit economy. The presence of gray zones and foreign nationals in the statistics underscores the transnational and adaptive nature of this scourge.