US designates Colombia's Clan del Golfo as Foreign Terrorist Organization

The US designated Colombia's largest drug cartel, Clan del Golfo, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Tuesday.

Rubio accused the group of being a violent criminal organization with thousands of members based in Colombia, with cocaine trafficking as its primary income source used to fund violent activities.

"Clan del Golfo is responsible for terrorist attacks against public officials, law enforcement and military personnel, and civilians in Colombia," said Rubio.

The US will continue using "all available tools" to protect the nation and stop violence and terror campaigns committed by international cartels and transnational criminal organizations, he said. "We are committed to denying funding and resources to these terrorists."

Clan del Golfo, also known as Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, is a neo-paramilitary group and Colombia's largest drug cartel with an estimated 9,000 members.

Earlier in December, Colombia's government and Clan del Golfo signed a declaration in Qatar to disarm the group and support the peace-building process in regions where it holds influence.

The group's former leader, Dairo Antonio Usuga David, known as "Otoniel," was captured in October 2021 in Colombia's Uraba region.

The US has carried out at least 22 strikes in the region on boats allegedly transporting narcotics since September, killing at least 87 people, and has expanded military operations across Latin America. Washington has not provided any evidence about the claims of drug trafficking by the boats.