Truth or False: Is this armed drone being used by FARC rebels in Colombia?
A video circulating online claims that fighters from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are using a new weapon: a drone capable of firing bullets while flying. But as the Truth or Fake team discovered, the video has nothing to do with the conflict in Colombia. We will also explain how to check a video online with just your mobile phone.
One of the first things to have in your toolbox is a reverse image search app, which you can easily find in an Android or Apple app store. When we searched for the video using an app like this, we found that the video was old and has been online since at least 2015.
The drone was actually manufactured by an American student, Austin Haughwout, who was 18 years old at the time. His modified drone videos posted to his YouTube channel went viral, but they also caught the attention of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Their investigation concluded that it is illegal for a US citizen who is not in the military to use a drone as a weapon.
Austin Haughwout was later expelled from his university for threatening to kill people with his modified drones.
Have the FARC used drones in conflict before?
However, there are some indications that FARC fighters have used drones in conflicts. An article on the Infodefensa website explains how the Colombian army found a cache of armed drones in Tumaco, which were used by the separatist insurgent group Frente Oliver Sinisterra.
The site explains that this type of drone can easily be purchased for the equivalent of around € 1,200 and that it can be loaded with bombs.
Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano spoke on the matter at a press conference in September 2021:
“The intelligence we have indicates that some FARC dissidents wanted to acquire drones to carry out surveillance and monitoring activities on the other side of the border. [between Colombia and Venezuela]. “
The Colombian army also said it had intercepted a drone on the border between Colombia and Venezuela. Many rebel fighters fled to Venezuela to continue fighting from across the border.
