▁credit ▁for ▁something ▁we ▁didn ' t ▁do ", ▁adding ▁that ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁rescue , ▁calling ▁it ▁" a ▁Colomb ian ▁En te bbe ▁operation ". ▁According ▁to ▁Colombia ' s ▁W ▁Radio , ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁military ▁strongly ▁denied ▁that ▁Global ▁C ST ▁played ▁any ▁direct ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁operation . ▁ ▁Def ence ▁Minister ▁Juan ▁Manuel ▁Santos ▁emphas ized ▁at ▁a ▁press ▁conference ▁on ▁July ▁ 4 , ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁direct ▁foreign ▁invol vement ▁of ▁any ▁kind ▁in ▁the ▁operation . ▁However , ▁he ▁did ▁say ▁that ▁a ▁U . S . ▁surve ill ance ▁aircraft ▁monitor ed ▁the ▁situation . ▁ ▁Al leg ations ▁of ▁payment ▁On ▁July ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Radio ▁Suisse ▁Roman de ▁reported ▁that ▁un named ▁" re li able ▁sources " ▁had ▁told ▁it ▁the ▁rescue ▁took ▁place ▁after ▁a ▁payment ▁of ▁US $ 2 0 ▁million ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁According ▁to ▁Le ▁Monde , ▁the ▁French ▁Foreign ▁Ministry ▁denied ▁the ▁payment ▁of ▁any ▁r ans om ▁by ▁France . ▁ ▁Freder ich ▁B lass el , ▁Radio ▁Suisse ▁Roman de ▁journalist , ▁told ▁Colombia ' s ▁W ▁Radio ▁that , ▁according ▁to ▁his ▁source , ▁the ▁release ▁was ▁not ▁negoti ated ▁directly ▁with ▁F AR C ▁but ▁with ▁Ger ardo ▁Agu ilar , ▁alias ▁César , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁gu err illas ▁captured ▁during ▁the ▁operation , ▁who ▁would ▁have ▁received ▁the ▁payment ▁of ▁US $ 2 0 ▁million