▁to ▁place ▁a ▁mole ▁within ▁the ▁F AR C ▁itself ▁one ▁year , ▁if ▁not ▁more , ▁before ▁the ▁operation . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁colon el ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁operation , ▁Colombia ▁had ▁located ▁the ▁host ages ▁roughly ▁four ▁months ▁before ▁the ▁rescue . ▁Between ▁this ▁time ▁and ▁the ▁actual ▁mission , ▁Colomb ian ▁forces ▁sp otted ▁five ▁of ▁the ▁host ages ▁while ▁they ▁were ▁bath ing ▁in ▁the ▁Ap apor is ▁River ▁( including ▁the ▁three ▁Americans ), ▁leading ▁them ▁to ▁plant ▁motion - sens ors ▁and ▁video ▁cam eras ▁along ▁the ▁water way . ▁ ▁At ▁one ▁point ▁a ▁F AR C ▁guer illa ▁accident ally ▁k icked ▁a ▁device ▁while ▁walking ▁in ▁the ▁j ung le ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁himself ; ▁however , ▁the ▁surve ill ance ▁operation ' s ▁cover ▁was ▁not ▁blow n . ▁ ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁trick ing ▁the ▁F AR C ▁into ▁re group ing ▁the ▁host ages ▁was ▁seriously ▁considered ▁in ▁late ▁May , ▁and ▁the ▁following ▁month ▁General ▁Fred dy ▁Pad illa ▁de ▁Leon ▁brought ▁the ▁rescue ▁plan ▁to ▁his ▁civil ian ▁super iors . ▁Def ense ▁Minister ▁Juan ▁Manuel ▁Santos ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁agreed ▁quickly ▁to ▁the ▁plan ; ▁President ▁Ál var o ▁Uri be , ▁after ▁we igh ing ▁the ▁possible ▁diplom atic ▁consequences , ▁also ▁approved ▁it . ▁ ▁Santos ▁said ▁the ▁F AR C ▁reb els ▁had ▁been ▁trick ed ▁into ▁hand ing ▁over ▁the ▁host ages ▁by ▁soldiers ▁pos ing ▁as ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁fict it