Although, DEA has not been able to confirm the exact amount of chemicals seized at the laboratory site, the C.P. reported seizing 8.1 metric tons of cocaine HCL and base, by any standards an enormous seizure and indicative of the position of Colombian traffickers in the cocaine trade. Even though the Orejuela brothers are able to somewhat control the organization from prison, they cannot can no longer completely dominate the cocaine trade as they did when they wielded their power from Cali. New groups, from the Northern Valle del Cauca region, are among emerging independent groups who have appeared on the scene to replace the monolithic Cali syndicate. Over the last year we have seen some of these new independent groups return to the traditional Caribbean smuggling routes to move their cocaine to the United States but Mexico is still the primary route for cocaine leaving South America fr the United States. Colombia was decertified in March of 1996 based on drug-related corruption and a lack of political will at the highest levels of the Colombian Government, that undercut the courageous efforts of the C.P. and the office of the Prosecutor General, to combat drug trafficking and corruption.
Corruption irrefutably exists at the highest levels of the Colombian government.
To date, Prosecutor General Alfonso Valdivieso has investigated allegations involving drug-related corruption involving more than 100 current of former Colombian Government officials. Interior Minister Horacio Serpa, Foreign Minister Rodrigo Pardo and former Communications Minister Juan Manuel Turbay and 30 members of Congress are currently under investigation by the Prosecutor General's office. In an unprecedented move the United State's revoked President Samper's tourist visa in July as a result of his ties to the Cali drug syndicate. The post of Attorney General changed hands several times in 1996 due to serious corruption charges against Vasquez Velasquez and Luis Montoy-Medina. Another example of the Government of Colombia's failure to deal swiftly and decisively with corruption is that of former Prosecutor General Gustavo de Grieff, who despite having been documented receiving large sums of money from both the organized criminal groups in Cali and Medellin and used his official position to protect their interests from prosecution, yet he remains Colombia's current Ambassador to Mexico.