US labels Colombia’s largest armed group Clan del Golfo as terrorist

The United States has designated Clan del Golfo, one of Colombia’s largest illegal armed groups, as a terrorist organization, the State Department announced Tuesday.

The move marks Washington’s latest step to bolster counternarcotics and security efforts near the Colombia-Venezuela border. Tensions in the region rose significantly after President Donald Trump accused Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro of facilitating criminal operations tied to drug trafficking.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that Clan del Golfo was responsible for numerous terrorist attacks financed primarily through drug trafficking.

“Today, the State Department designates Clan del Golfo as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT),” Rubio said.

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“Clan del Golfo, based in Colombia, is a violent and powerful criminal organization with thousands of members. The group’s main source of income is cocaine trafficking, which it uses to finance its violent activities. Clan del Golfo is responsible for terrorist attacks against public officials, law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians in Colombia.”

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People walking in Bello, a city and suburb of Medellin, Colombia. (Jaime Saldarriaga/AFP via Getty Images)

The group, also known as the Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, has been involved in criminal activities for over a decade. It operates primarily in Colombia, known as the world’s largest producer of cocaine, and smuggles drugs across borders, including into the United States.

“The United States will continue to use all available tools to protect our nation and stop campaigns of violence and terror by international cartels and transnational criminal organizations,” Rubio said. he added. “We are determined to refuse to provide funding and resources to these terrorists.”

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The police opened the confiscated cocaine package. (Horacio Villalobos Corbis/Corbis)

The designation underscores the group’s threat to U.S. national security and could increase penalties for individuals and organizations supporting the network.

Over the past several months, the Trump administration has launched dozens of deadly attacks against boats suspected of drug smuggling. The operations aim to eliminate narco-terrorist networks that the United States has designated as terrorist organizations, such as Tren de Aragua in Venezuela and Ejército de Liberación Nacional in Colombia.