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A 2200 kilometre long borderline between Colombia and Venezuela is virtually impossible to control. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The flow of contraband is managed and organized by former Colombian paramilitary forces and the bribed Venezuelan...
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  • Contraband smugglers, carrying gasoline barrels on a bicycle, fall down into the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 3 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • The view of the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Young contraband smugglers, facing wild waves, swim with gas cylinders in the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 3 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A smuggler pushes a bicycle loaded with contraband on the foot bridge across the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A contraband smuggler, facing wild waves, carries gasoline barrels through the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 3 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A contraband smuggler throws a rope to his workmate on the shore of the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 3 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Young contraband smugglers pull gas cylinders out of the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 3 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A smuggler carries a huge box full of the Colombian contraband on the foot bridge across the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Smugglers push bicycles loaded with contraband on the foot bridge across the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A contraband smuggler carries three barrels of gasoline (90 kg) across the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Smugglers push bicycles loaded with gasoline barrels on the shore of the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Barrels of the smuggled Venezuelan gasoline are sold along the highways in the border region, close to Cucuta, Colombia, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A smuggler pushes a bicycle loaded with contraband on the foot bridge across the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A smuggler carries a huge pack full of the Colombian contraband on the foot bridge across the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A contraband smuggler carries two barrels of gasoline (60 kg) across the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Smugglers push bicycles loaded with contraband on the foot bridge across the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A contraband smuggler carries a bicycle through the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 3 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Smugglers push bicycles loaded with gasoline barrels on the shore of the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A smuggler pushes a bicycle loaded with gasoline barrels on the shore of the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Young contraband smugglers pull gas cylinders out of the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 3 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Barrels of the smuggled Venezuelan gasoline are sold along the highways in the border region, close to Cucuta, Colombia, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A contraband smuggler, facing wild waves, carries gasoline barrels through the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 3 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A contraband smuggler carries an empty box on the shore of the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A smuggler pushes a bicycle loaded with gasoline barrels on the shore of the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A smuggler carries a huge pack full of the Colombian contraband on the foot bridge across the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • A contraband smuggler carries gasoline barrels on a bicycle through the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 3 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Smugglers push a bicycle loaded with gasoline barrels on the shore of the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 3 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.

  • Smugglers push bicycles loaded with gasoline barrels through the river Tachira on the Colombia-Venezuela border, 2 May 2006. Venezuelan gasoline, being 20 times cheaper than in Colombia, is the most wanted smuggling item, followed by food and car parts, while reputable Colombian clothing flow to Venezuela. There are about 25,000 barrels of gasoline crossing illegally the Venezuelan border every day. The risky contraband smuggling, especially during the rainy season when the river rises, makes a living to hundreds of poor families in communities on both sides of the frontier.