The United States has officially designated the Colombian drug-trafficking organization known as Clan del Golfo (Gulf Clan) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). This action was announced by the US Treasury Department.
The designation occurred hours after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order classifying the synthetic opioid fentanyl as a "weapon of mass destruction." These developments align with the Trump administration's intensified efforts in its "war on drugs." This initiative has included more than 20 lethal strikes against vessels suspected of drug transport in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in over 90 fatalities. Some legal experts have raised concerns regarding the legality of these strikes.
Clan del Golfo has operated for decades, primarily engaged in trafficking cocaine from Colombia, a major producer, to destinations in the United States and Europe. The group, based in Colombia's northern Urabá region, is also involved in the smuggling of migrants through the Darién Gap, a jungle area connecting Colombia and Panama. According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the group has been responsible for attacks against public officials, law enforcement personnel, military personnel, and civilians within Colombia. It is estimated to have thousands of members and is considered the largest cocaine-trafficking gang currently active in Colombia. The group joins three other Colombian criminal entities on the FTO list: the National Liberation Army (ELN) and two factions that separated from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) following its 2016 peace agreement with the Colombian government.
The FTO designation by the US occurred less than two weeks after Colombian President Gustavo Petro signed an agreement with Clan del Golfo. This agreement aimed at initiating a peace process in areas controlled by the group. President Petro's political platform included a commitment to achieving "total peace" in Colombia, a country historically affected by cartel and guerrilla violence. The agreement with Clan del Golfo represented a significant step in these peace efforts, particularly as talks with other armed groups have often faltered. A component of this deal involved an understanding that Clan del Golfo members would not face extradition to the United Nations. The US designation is anticipated to complicate the ongoing negotiations between the Colombian government and the group. President Petro has not yet issued a public response to the US action.
Relations between Colombian President Petro and the Trump administration have been strained. President Petro has previously described the US lethal strikes on suspected drug vessels in the Pacific as "murder." Conversely, Secretary Rubio has publicly referred to President Petro as a "lunatic."
The immediate consequences of the FTO designation include the freezing of any Clan del Golfo assets held within US financial institutions. Additionally, individuals, including US citizens, who are found to have knowingly provided "material support" to the group may face legal prosecution. The designation takes place amidst heightened regional tensions, with President Trump having repeatedly stated that "strikes on land" against "narco-terrorists" could follow the naval operations. While President Trump has primarily focused on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the "Cartel of the Suns" (also designated an FTO by the US), he recently alluded to potential land operations in Colombia. He stated, "Colombia has at least three cocaine factories. That's a different country," and later added, "But it's not only land strikes on Venezuela, it's land strikes on horrible people that are bringing in drugs and killing our people."