A helicopter landed in a grassy clearing in southern Colombia. It was the final step of a Colombian Army intelligence operation, months in the planning. As the FARC, a Marxist guerrilla group emerged from the jungle, they believed they were greeting a group of humanitarian mission workers, TV journalists, and FARC colleagues who would transfer their hostages to another FARC camp. In fact, they were handing their hostages directly into the hands of undercover Colombian Army intelligence agents.
At the heart of Operación Jaque was an electronic deception. Colombian Army cryptanalysts, who had broken FARC radio communication codes, came up with a plan to imitate FARC broadcasters. Over several months, a Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) team sent encrypted messages to the FARC camp they believed was holding the hostages, and tricked FARC leader César into bringing the hostages to a location where Colombian forces could carry out a rescue operation.
Hear some of these deceptive radio transmissions between Colombian Military Intelligence and the FARC guerillas below.
Colombian Senator Ingrid Betancourt was campaigning for president when she was kidnapped by the FARC in 2002. She was held hostage for over 7 years before being rescued in Operación Jaque.
Second Lieutenant Raimundo Malagón was kidnapped by the FARC along with seven other Colombian Army soldiers in 1998. He was held hostage for over 10 years before being rescued in Operación Jaque.
A Colombian Army Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) team, imitating FARC radio transmissions, camped out at a remote site.
Colombian Army Intelligence agents assumed the cover of international humanitarian mission workers and FARC collaborators.
Members of the Colombian military, undercover as international humanitarian mission workers and helicopter pilots, prepare for Operación Jaque.
The 15 freed hostages and their rescuers arrive at San José del Guaviare airport. The deception had worked perfectly.
On loan from the Embassy of Colombia
The FARC used chains like this to shackle their hostages. “If the guards were in a bad mood, they pulled them tight around our necks,” hostage Ingrid Betancourt recalled. “If they were in a good mood, they would leave a little breathing room.”
On loan from the Embassy of Colombia
After breaking the FARC codes, Colombian Military Intelligence sent the guerrillas deceptive radio transmissions.
On loan from the Embassy of Colombia
To be convincing, Colombian Army Intelligence personnel had to exactly replicate FARC radio transmissions, using the same radios as the FARC guerillas.
On loan from the Embassy of Colombia
The leader of the operation wore this shirt and vest when he posed as an international mission worker during the rescue mission. Since using the symbol of an actual humanitarian organization in a miltiary operation violates the Geneva Convention, the Colombian military invented a logo for its fake International Humanitarian Mission.
On loan from the Embassy of Colombia
Colombian Military Intelligence used this chart to show where groups of hostages were held in different FARC guerilla encampments.
On loan from the Embassy of Colombia
These rubber boots were worn by one of the female intelligence agents who posed as a FARC radio operator. In 2002,when Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt was detained by a group of armed men, she did not know at first whether this was a standard military checkpoint or a FARC abduction. Then she looked at the men’s boots and knew instantly she was in trouble: The Army wore leather boots. The FARC wore rubber. And these men wore rubber boots.
On loan from the Embassy of Colombia
The pilot of Libertad 1, the Mi-17 helicopter that carried the hostages to safety, was undercover too: his helmet had the red and white design of a civilian, international mission.
View the complete collection of objects from Operación Jaque featured in the exhibit.
