I was a general in South America

The camera lens followed Lucas's silhouette as he entered the shed.

The soil was covered with white spots, which perfectly confirmed Lucas's earlier guess that there was very little cocaine left on the workbench, as if a layer of putty had been scraped off the surface with a tool.

In the workshop, which was more than ten square meters in size, there was almost nothing left except for a few large vats piled up in the corner.

"The brown stain on the ground is from blood, and there are bullet marks on the wooden pillars and tabletops."

Lucas ran his index finger across the workbench, scraping off some of the remaining white powder. The granular texture between his fingers felt like that of fine table salt used in ordinary households.

"Because the weather in the forest is very changeable, drug dealers will wrap the finished cocaine in paper and put it into sealed bags to prevent it from deteriorating faster in high temperature and high humidity environments."

The cocaine on the table looked like it had been made within the last two days. Clearly... this drug cartel camp may have been attacked.

Given the greed of drug traffickers, a normal retreat would never waste so much cocaine.

You should know that in drug manufacturing plants, if a worker spills just a few dozen grams of powder, he might get a beating if he's easy-going, or he might just die if he's not.

Inside the shed, cocaine was scattered on the ground, and white powder was scraped off the worktable.

It can be basically concluded that this was not a scene of drug manufacturers packing up and leaving a drug factory, but rather a robbery.

"According to Lieutenant Lucas, this used to be a drug manufacturing plant for a drug trafficking organization. They produced cocaine in the forest and then transported the finished product out by manpower."

"The bad thing is that the drug dealers may have been attacked. There were no bodies in the footage, only traces of a battle. Lieutenant Lucas's unit risked their lives to track them in the mountains for hours, only to find this evidence that couldn't indict anyone."

"For the filming crew, we captured some rare and precious footage, but for them, it was another fruitless operation. This is the most common scene in their anti-drug work. Lieutenant Lucas didn't even have time to be frustrated because he had to start a new battle with drug dealers tomorrow."

Hoffman provided a vivid and expressive voiceover for the scene, and at that moment, the crew members looked at Lucas with admiration.

The images on television are far less impactful than real-life scenes.

Even Diana Turwai, who had a deeper understanding of Colombian drug cartels, felt the same way.

They had only been trekking through the forest for a few hours when they began to feel exhausted, and the soldiers were carrying dozens of kilograms of weapons and equipment on their backs.

Despite the immense danger, they ultimately found only an empty camp.

I have personally experienced the difficulty of drug control work.

Lucas also heard Hoffman's explanation and his lips curled up slightly, but he still looked somewhat disappointed in front of the camera.

I'm doing my best to cooperate with your performance...!

However, Hoffman is not wrong either. Putting aside the political factors in the Colombian drug war, simply comparing the difficulty of drug control work.

The predicament faced by the Colombian army was absolutely hellish.

The Golden Triangle and the Golden Crescent, these world-renowned drug trafficking strongholds, are like comparing a wooden ball to a magic ball in terms of environmental problems compared to the Amazon.

Lucas followed the scent, leading the camera to a pile of jars in the corner.

The closer he got, the stronger the stench of those smelly socks hit him, and he couldn't help but cover his nose and mouth with his hand.

"Hoffman, look here."

"Lucas, what's in here?"

Hoffman frowned, clearly finding the smell unbearable, but his professional ethics prevailed over his physical aversion.

"It contains soaked coca," Diana, who hadn't said much the whole way, suddenly explained.

"Soaked coca?"

"Diana is right, it is soaked coca."

Lucas answered Hoffman's question, while glancing at Diana with slight surprise.

It wasn't that the sportswear was soaked with sweat, but rather that the curves of the mountain peaks looked somewhat exaggerated.

Rather, it's because the other party can guess what's inside immediately. It seems that this national female host is not just a beautifully packaged persona created by her elite family background.

They should have at least been exposed to or witnessed this drug manufacturing process before.

But I only glanced at you once...

Do you want to look back? Your gaze is still so aggressive.

Faced with Diana's unabashed gaze, Lucas chose to steer the conversation back on track, reaching out to lift the lid.

A whole vat of coca leaves is soaking in liquid.

"This is the 'kitchen,' where workers crush and process the harvested coca leaves with their feet or sticks, extracting the alkaloids from the coca leaves."

This will give you the most basic 'syrup'.

Next, it will dissolve in the seasoning to remove impurities.

Lower-grade processes simply add ammonia, while higher-grade processes add another substance at this step to further remove impurities and purify the product.

What you get is called "Basuco!" in Colombia.

According to Lucas's description, Hoffman and others seemed to have witnessed a process firsthand. Surprisingly, the entire complex process was completed in such a rudimentary environment in the forest.

"Basuco? This is terrifying! This is the thing that drives everyone crazy, and it's actually done right here...? It's unbelievable...!"

There is no high-tech equipment, not even the chemical refining equipment such as flasks that one might imagine.

How can we use the most primitive methods to make the entire United States willingly and frantically hand over US dollars?

Lucas shook his head and continued, "The finished coca is sent to a more refined 'kitchen' where it is mixed and filtered again with another seasoning, and other things are added to form the final powder."

He has done his best to describe it, to say everything he can.

This is the best sample.

America in high society is a fan of these "samples".

Of course, those who pose as human figures on the streets of America will not be able to enjoy this.

Not mixing in anything else is already considered conscientious.

The president who needed to wear diapers had an eldest son who was a big fan of cocaine.

Hoffman listened with great interest. Although the trip didn't capture any combat footage, the material he had was enough to make it worthwhile.

As he moved the camera to take pictures, he removed the remaining lids.

"Fuck!"

A scream.

Hoffman and the others looked terrified and instinctively backed away.

A human head with wide, red eyes floats on the crushed coca residue!

Lucas reacted quickly and immediately put the lid back on.

His expression instantly turned cold, and he reached out to cover Hoffman's camera lens: "Hoffman, turn off the camera. We must evacuate immediately."

Colombian drug traffickers don't like beheadings.

Based on the traces left at the camp, Lucas was almost certain that the attackers were not drug dealers.

It's not a case of double-crossing!

Then there's only one possibility: before the rainy season arrives, the anti-government forces hiding in the forest have started to come out and loot supplies.

"Moreno, notify the troops to evacuate!"

Hoffman wanted to say a few more words, but seeing Lucas's serious expression, he could only turn off the camera and speak to the rest of the filming crew.

"Shut down all equipment and evacuate with Lieutenant Lucas."

....

The main force returned along the original route.

Anti-government forces are not drug traffickers; they are the most professional jungle killers.

Each member is arguably the best jungle guide in Colombia.

If Lucas had only brought fast troops, things wouldn't be so tense.

After all, the film crew are not professional soldiers, and they want to ensure that there are no casualties after the battle.

Or perhaps only God could do it!

Fog descended on the Kakau Valley forest precisely at 2 PM, rising from the bottom of the valley. On the way back, the white fog gradually thickened, reducing visibility to less than 20 meters.

The light from the tree canopy gradually thinned, leaving only the dark green of the understory vegetation. The group had been walking on the hillside for a long time.

Diana had to exert three times more effort each time she lifted her foot than on flat ground.

She was panting, but gritted her teeth and didn't say a word. Walking in front of her was Hoffman, being supported by Blake.

After starting from the riverbank, the entire route is uphill.

The physical exertion required may be twice that of coming here, and there was no sense of urgency when coming here.

Lucas did not order the troops to advance at full speed, but slowed down the pace to take into account the film crew's endurance.

But now, the anti-government guerrillas are like a dark cloud hanging over our heads.

Perhaps Blake and the film crew did not realize the seriousness of the situation.

But he knew all too well that the riverbank was not far from the drug cartel's camp.

Since the guerrillas appeared in the drug cartel camp, it meant that the area within a radius of 20 to 30 kilometers was within their range of activity.

"Lucas, they can't hold on much longer. If they don't stop to rest, they won't make it out of this forest!"

Captain Blake, who hadn't made a fuss along the way, couldn't help but go up to Lucas and say something after seeing a cameraman trip over a tree branch.

"I don't know what you found out, but I think we should rest for ten minutes."

"Are you done talking?"

"So you're agreeing?"

"Once you've finished speaking, continue executing orders. This isn't a US military base; I'm the joint commander, soldier!"

Lucas, with a cold face, showed no respect whatsoever, and then pointed at the photographer who had fallen.

"You two take turns carrying him on your backs, the rest of you hurry up and move forward."

Questioning a superior's orders during an operation is a major taboo in the military.

Even if it's out of good intentions, it's still not allowed!

Blake's face flushed red; he had already given Lucas enough face along the way.

He believed that even in the most extreme circumstances, they would have their elite special operations team.

That's enough to lead everyone safely out of the forest. That Colombian bastard did it on purpose!

Bluster and deliberate revenge against themselves; even Colombia's most powerful forces are no match for the US military.

"Lucas, you can tell me what you've found, or I won't approve of your orders!"

Upon hearing this, Hoffman's wrinkles deepened. He gave Blake a reproachful look and was about to speak up to dissuade him when he found that Lucas ignored him and turned to continue on his way.

The two soldiers carried the photographer on their backs and continued forward.

Only Blake was left standing there awkwardly.

When relationships break down, what really breaks a person's defenses isn't when someone confronts you directly.

Instead, they won't even acknowledge you!

Diana didn't hesitate and was the first to follow closely behind Lucas.

Seeing this, Hoffman sighed slightly and forced himself to follow.

With the two biggest stars in the film crew leading the way, the others had no choice but to grit their teeth and struggle to move forward.

Clearly, the person with the highest rank in the group trusted Lieutenant Lucas, who was walking in front.

As Blake watched the departing figures, a wave of shame washed over him.

Damn it, I was clearly thinking of you guys!

Lucas, that Colombian bastard, that damned bastard, how dare he humiliate me like this!

These bastards will find out sooner or later; I'm sure this bastard won't have a good end.

If the filming crew arrived with a sense of surprise, they would have been capturing the beautiful scenery with their cameras the whole way.

For the rest of the journey, all that remained were heavy breathing and the sound of shoes crunching on fallen leaves.

"Stop!"

Moreno, who was walking at the front, suddenly raised his hand and clenched his fist.

The entire team seemed to have been paused, like a long dragon stopped on the hillside.

The film crew couldn't help but feel a little worried upon seeing this.

Moreno parted the group and came to Lucas's side, whispering something in his ear.

"Lucas, something's wrong! The branch I used as a marker when I came here seems to have been moved!"

To avoid causing panic, Lucas simply nodded slightly to indicate that he understood, without showing any particular emotion on his face.

"Pass down the order: the troops at the front will split into pairs, spaced five meters apart, to scout ahead and be ready to fire at any time."

Lucas gave the instructions in a low voice, since he didn't know what was going on.

Then the only safest approach is to expand the search area.

As the soldiers began to divide into groups and prepare to advance.

Bang..!

A gunshot shattered the tranquility of the forest, and countless birds flapped their wings and flew into the sky.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Enemy attack from the east!"

The remaining soldiers lay down to stand guard, and Lucas, seeing the film crew still standing there in a daze, immediately roared.

"Lie down, all of you fucking lie down!"

He instinctively grabbed Diana, who was closest to him, and fell to the ground, not even having time to savor the beauty in his arms.

"Moreno, find a position and lead your men to provide suppressive fire. The rest of you, stay put and keep watch. If you spot the enemy, fire only, do not pursue them unless ordered to do so."

It seems that the troop's movements had already been discovered by the anti-armed guerrillas.

Then the other party may have planted traps, landmines or other such things nearby.

As for why they didn't place the filming location along the route, Lucas guessed that the rebels' target was the film crew protected by the military.

Blake, who was also huddled on the ground, was extremely excited. The time had finally come to prove himself.

That bastard Lucas was scared out of his wits by a bunch of stinking rats who can only hide in the jungle.

He will wipe out this group of bandits in a moment, and then Hoffman will know who his savior is.

If only I could say a few good words for you to my superiors when I get back to base.

Hehehe!

He immediately told the teammate lying beside him, "Once we locate the enemy, don't notify us, give chase immediately. I want to capture them alive!"