The Colombians are involved in a situation of incredible violence. The situation's veering out of control, and we need to step in and stand with the forces of democracy in Colombia. Whether we choose to ante up or not, the Copes commandos have already started to move in on key guerrilla positions. For them, the war on drugs never ends. The fact that the Cali cartel was destroyed but the drug trade remains active should indicate escalating violence in the region isn't going to stop any drugs from coming to the United States.
Recent history shows how drug traffickers thrive on the chaos of civil war.
Further U.S. intervention might put some current traffickers out of business, but they would quickly be replaced by more traffickers, leaving an increasingly fragmented drug trade that would even be harder to fight. As the battle intensifies, drug-running just becomes more profitable and more attractive to desperate people. And when increased military aid fails to stem the flow of drugs or bring more order to Colombia, U.S. troops can't be far behind. And there's no reason to believe those troops will be any more successful at eradicating drugs. Increased militarization won't make the drug trade die, but many Colombian citizens and American soldiers can expect to lose their lives in the fight.