HomeNewsBrief‘Pategrillo’ - The New Boon for Colombia's Cocaine Labs
BRIEF

‘Pategrillo’ - The New Boon for Colombia's Cocaine Labs

COCAINE / 2 APR 2020 BY NATALIA SUÁREZ EN

Crude oil siphoned from Colombia's pipelines is increasingly being processed by clandestine refineries that manufacture a low-quality fuel, known as "pategrillo," used to make cocaine.

Between January and June 2018, about 24,300 barrels of oil was diverted from 281 illegal taps in pipelines near the municipality of Tibú, in the northeastern department of Norte de Santander on the Colombia-Venezuela border, according to figures from Ecopetrol, Colombia’s leading oil company, that were published by Verdad Abierta. In 2017, about 200 illegal valves were detected. 

According to Ecopetrol, only 18 attacks were registered on pipelines in Norte de Santander throughout 2019. However, sources on the ground, including a repairman who is regularly called upon to fix damaged oil infrastructure, told InSight Crime that attacks on the pipelines were constant. It is not clear whether the attacks were intended to steal oil or were meant to sabotage oil infrastructure -- a common tactic of Colombian guerrilla groups. 

Some of the crude oil that is stolen through these valves is processed into what is known as “pategrillo,” a low-quality fuel that is used in cocaine production. 

Crime groups siphon the crude from pipelines in Norte de Santander, after which it is refined and transported, often via a the Tibú-El Tarra-Ocaña and Tibú-Convención-Aguachica routes to cocaine labs in the Catatumbo region.

SEE ALSO: Colombia News and Profiles

In August 2019, authorities in Tibú seized more than two dozen 55-gallon drums of pategrillo fuel. It and other cocaine manufacturing precursor chemicals seized were valued at 1,600 million pesos ($390,000). 

The rural border region of Tibú is a strategic corridor for criminal groups thanks to its ample smuggling opportunities. It is also one of Colombia's largest coca-growing areas, with plants covering 16.096 hectares in 2018. 

InSight Crime Analysis

While using pategrillo provides crime groups processing cocaine with an alternative to gasoline, the poor quality fuel reduces the drug's purity, making it less profitable in the international market. 

Hydrocarbons -- usually gasoline -- are needed to leach alkaloids from the coca leaf, before creating a paste that can be converted into a powdered form. Cocaine producers have also used kerosene and naphtha, hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum waste, to soak leaves. 

Experts consulted by InSight Crime explained that “pategrillo” is similar to kerosene but with a high degree of impurities. Gasoline produces cocaine with a 90 percent purity, whereas "pategrillo" tops out at 75 percent. 

SEE ALSO: A Quarter of Gasoline Sold in Colombia Is Used for Cocaine

Refining pategrillo also causes damage to the environment, as the oil is often siphoned into massive pools dug into the earth, where it can easily drain into local water supplies.

Though using pategrillo to make cocaine yields an inferior product, its use is likely to expand, given that it's more cost-effective than paying for gasoline.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

COCAINE / 12 JAN 2022

The son of a former Paraguayan congressman has been accused of overseeing large cocaine shipments to Europe, illustrating how corrupt…

COCAINE / 20 JUN 2022

Gustavo Petro will be Colombia's next president. Cocaine, Venezuela, deforestation - criminal challenges face him in droves.

COCAINE / 17 NOV 2022

InSight Crime sat down with Suriname's President Chan Santokhi to discuss the multiple criminal challenges ahead for the country.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

28 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…