Sombra’s success in detecting drug shipments was so great that the Colombian cartel Clan del Golfo offered a reward of 7,000 dollars to anyone who killed the dog.
There are good police dogs and then there is the Sombraa German shepherd so effective in dismantling drug trafficking in Colombia that the country’s largest criminal cartel has put a bounty on her head.
Sombra became one of Colombia’s most famous police dogs after repeatedly discovering massive shipments of cocaine linked to the Gulf Clan, the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the country. Their work was so damaging to the cartel’s operations that in 2018 the criminals reportedly offered a reward of around 7000 dollars for his death.
German Shepherds are widely used in police forces around the world, not because they have the most acute sense of smell in the canine world, but because they are versatile, intelligent and highly trainable. Although other breeds outperform them in pure scent detection, German Shepherds stand out as well-rounded dogs, capable of obedience, tracking, protection, and detection.
Sombra stood out even among this elite group. His coach, police officer José Rojas, told in 2018 that his sense of smell was “much higher than other dogs.” Throughout her career, she was credited with helping authorities seize large quantities of narcotics and dismantle important trafficking routes.
One of his greatest successes occurred when detected almost three tons of cocaine hidden in boxes of bananas destined for Europe. Colombian police say they have been involved in more than 245 drug-related arrests at international airports. In the coastal city of Turbo, Sombra also helped locate another 4.5 tons of the drug.
The cartel’s bounty forced authorities to take unusual precautions. In 2018, police transferred Sombra from frontline operations to El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, where she continued to work under heavy surveillance rather than being permanently removed from service.
Despite the threat, Sombra remained in service and was expected to work for another two years before retiring, consolidating his legacy as one of Colombia’s most effective weapons against drug trafficking.
