ABSTRACT
The National Liberation Army (ELN) is Colombia's second-biggest Marxist insurgent guerrilla group with an estimated size of 3,500 to 5,000 rebels at its peak in 1998-2002. The ELN initially received much of its funding from the Soviet Union and Cuba, but transitioned to using extortion, kidnapping for ransom, and taxes on the drug trade to finance their operations. Various rebel groups in Colombia are said to have laundered millions of dollars using many different methods. Procedural difficulties and limited resources for anti-money laundering programs constrain the effectiveness of the Colombian government's efforts. The Colombian government focuses on defeating drug traffickers and insurgents by eliminating the coca crops and cocaine production that are the main facilitators of regional violence perpetrated by the ELN, FARC, and United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). To expand counter narcotics and counter insurgent groups operations, the US provided advice, training, equipment, and intelligence to support the Colombian government's objectives to locate, interdict, and isolate resources.
