▁than ▁F AR C . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁F AR C ▁Sp okes man ▁Simon ▁Tr in idad ▁said ▁that ▁tax es ▁on ▁drug ▁labor ator ies ▁represented ▁an ▁important ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁organization ' s ▁income , ▁although ▁he ▁didn ' t ▁say ▁how ▁much ▁it ▁was . ▁He ▁def ended ▁this ▁fund ing ▁source , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁drug ▁trade ▁was ▁en demic ▁in ▁Colombia ▁because ▁it ▁had ▁per v aded ▁many ▁se ctors ▁of ▁its ▁economy . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁ 2 1 ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁capture ▁of ▁Brazil ian ▁drug ▁lord ▁Lu iz ▁Fernando ▁da ▁Costa ▁( a . k . a . ▁Fern and inho ▁Be ira - Mar ) ▁in ▁Colombia , ▁Colomb ian ▁and ▁Brazil ian ▁authorities ▁accused ▁him ▁of ▁co oper ating ▁with ▁F AR C - EP ▁through ▁the ▁exchange ▁of ▁weapons ▁for ▁c oca ine . ▁They ▁also ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁received ▁armed ▁protection ▁from ▁the ▁gu err illa ▁group . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 8 ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁the ▁Att orney ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁John ▁Ash cro ft ▁ind icted ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁F AR C ▁after ▁an ▁ 1 8 - month ▁investigation ▁into ▁their ▁n arc ot ics ▁tra ff ick ing . ▁Tom ás ▁Mol ina ▁Car ac as , ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁F AR C ' s ▁ 1 6 th ▁Front , ▁led ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁Front ' s ▁drug -