[6] Between this time and the actual mission, Colombian forces spotted five of the hostages while they were bathing in the Apaporis River (including the three Americans), leading them to plant motion-sensors and video cameras along the waterway.

Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos is said to have agreed quickly to the plan; President Álvaro Uribe, after weighing the possible diplomatic consequences, also approved it.

[5] Several aspects of the mission were apparently designed to mimic previous Venezuelan hostage transfers, including the actual composition of the group and the type and markings of the helicopters used.

[11] In total, the helicopter spent 22 minutes on the ground, during which time the hostages were handcuffed and loaded aboard; the pilot and copilot communicated with fellow security personnel in code.

[19] Gerardo Aguilar Ramírez, known as "Cesar", was sent to the United States in July 2009 where U.S. federal courts put him on trial for trafficking in cocaine and other narcotics during his time in FARC.

[22] Keith Trowbridge (SarDev International), an American kidnap and ransom consultant, allegedly provided Colombia with ground reconnaissance and the intelligence that led to the placement of the mole within FARC.

that Trowbridge spearheaded the deadly yet successful rescue of a teenage hostage from the FARC six kilometers south of Medellin in 2006, affording him a unique relationship with the Colombia judiciary.

Some reports also highlighted the role of Global CST, a company owned by former Israeli Brigadier Generals Israel Ziv and Yossi Kuperwasser, which has a US$10 million contract with Colombia to provide security advising and equipment, although Ziv and Kuperwasser declared their role was only general training of armed forces and commented that "We don't want to take credit for something we didn't do", adding that they did not take part in the rescue, calling it "a Colombian Entebbe operation".

[30] The minister of defense also added with a touch of irony that "Actually, it would have been a cheap offer, because we were willing to give up to USD 100 million..." "We would be the first to inform publicly, because it is part of our rewards system policy, and besides, it would speak much worse about the FARC".

[32] These allegations lost much of its credibility when, in February 2009, Gerardo Aguilar Rodriguez, known as "César", was extradited to US by the Colombian Supreme Court on charges of narcotrafficking and then sentenced to 27 years in jail.

His sentimental partner, Nancy Conde Rubio (alias Doris Adriana), had already been extradited under charges of conspiring to aid and giving material support to terrorist organizations, after being captured in an independent operation.

[36][37] On 15 July 2008, it was reported that according to unpublished photos and video footage viewed by CNN, which the network declined to buy from its source and whose authenticity it could not verify,[38] Colombian military intelligence misused an official International Red Cross emblem during the rescue operation.

[38] According to CNN, the material in question showed one man wearing a bib with the official symbol for the Red Cross shortly before the rescue operation began.

CNN also reported that one frame of a heavily edited official video released by Colombian authorities two days after the operation showed a person who seemed to be the same man, wearing what appeared to be part of a Red Cross bib.

[38] According to international legal expert Mark Ellis, misuse of the Red Cross emblem would be a breach of the Geneva Conventions and might constitute a war crime, because it could possibly endanger the work of official humanitarian workers in the future.

[38] During a national press conference, Colombian President Uribe had asked former hostage Ingrid Betancourt if she had seen any emblems on the helicopter participating in the rescue mission, which she denied.

[38] On 16 July, Uribe announced that an internal investigation had found that one of the officers who participated in the operation had individually decided to make unauthorized use of a Red Cross emblem, claiming that he was nervous and feared the presence of armed guerrillas.

Cinta Pluma, director of Global Humanitaria, denied having any participation in Operation Jaque or in the establishment of the false NGO, adding that they would consult their legal advisors before taking any action regarding the issue.