The United States has designated a notorious drug-trafficking organization in Colombia as a terrorist group. The US Treasury Department added the group, known as Clan del Golfo or Gulf Clan, to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
The designation came just hours after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order classifying the drug fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.
These two moves are seen as part of the Trump administration's intensified approach to combating drug trafficking, which includes over 20 lethal strikes on boats suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Clan del Golfo is implicated in a variety of criminal activities, primarily trafficking cocaine from Colombia, the world's largest producer of the drug, to the US and Europe. They are also involved in migrant smuggling through the Darién Gap, a treacherous jungle region connecting Colombia to Panama.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted the group's involvement in terrorist acts against Colombian officials and civilians alike. With an estimated thousands of members, the Clan del Golfo stands as the largest cocaine-trafficking gang operating in Colombia.
The FTO designation grants US authorities greater powers to freeze the assets belonging to the gang in the US and criminalizes any support from individuals, including US citizens, who might assist the organization.
Complicating matters further, the designation comes just two weeks after Colombia's President, Gustavo Petro, reached a landmark agreement with the Clan del Golfo aimed at fostering peace in regions under their control. Petro's administration has been struggling to negotiate with various armed groups, often facing backlash from US officials regarding their drug enforcement strategies.
Relations between the Trump administration and President Petro have been tense, with accusations exchanged over the US's military responses to drug trafficking. Petro has condemned the lethal strikes conducted by the US, while Rubio has labeled Petro's administration irresponsible.
As fentanyl continues to wreak havoc in the US, claiming more than 110,000 lives due to drug-related deaths in 2023 alone, how the US will approach Colombia’s role in the drug trade remains uncertain.
