A Canine That Cartels Feared
In Colombia’s war on drugs, one dog became so effective that a powerful cartel put a price on her head. Sombra, a German shepherd with an extraordinary nose, uncovered shipments worth millions. Her story begins in the police kennels and leads to international headlines.
From Training to Operations
Trained by the Colombian National Police anti-narcotics unit, Sombra specialized in detecting cocaine hidden in cargo. She quickly stood out during exercises, her accuracy surpassing expectations. Assigned to ports and airports, she was deployed on international smuggling routes, from Urabá to Bogotá.
The Big Discoveries
Authorities credited Sombra with finding nearly 10 tons of cocaine by 2018. Among her most notable successes was a 5.3-ton shipment disguised in banana boxes bound for Belgium. She also uncovered 77 kilograms in an aircraft and several more tons in shipping containers headed to Spain. Each detection disrupted operations of Colombia’s largest criminal groups.
Bounty on a Dog
Her string of successes caught the attention of the Clan del Golfo, Colombia’s most powerful cartel. In 2018, intelligence sources revealed that the group placed a 200 million peso bounty—about $70,000—on Sombra. To protect her, police transferred her from Urabá, one of the cartel’s strongholds, to safer posts such as Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport. There she continued her work under heavy guard.
Honors and Retirement
Sombra was decorated by the police for her role in anti-narcotics efforts. Media outlets across the world covered her story, portraying her as a key figure in major seizures. By the time she retired in 2019, she had helped intercept more than nine tons of cocaine. After retirement, she remained in the care of the Colombian police, away from the dangers that once made her one of the most targeted animals in the country.
A Colombian dog became so feared by cartels that one put a bounty on her.
Sombra, a German shepherd with the police, worked in ports and airports, her nose exposing cocaine shipments worth millions and forcing criminals to change their routes…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/iZysGeCgRl
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) September 24, 2025