U.S. Designates Colombia’s Clan del Golfo as Foreign Terrorist Organization and Global Terrorist.
Washington, D.C.:
The U.S. Department of State has officially designated Colombia-based criminal group Clan del Golfo as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), marking a major step in the United States’ efforts to combat transnational criminal and terrorist networks.
Clan del Golfo, one of Colombia’s most violent and powerful criminal organizations, is reported to have thousands of members. Its primary source of income is cocaine trafficking, which the group channels into financing violent operations. The organization has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks targeting public officials, law enforcement and military personnel, as well as civilians across Colombia.
In announcing the designation, the Department of State emphasized that the United States remains committed to using all available tools to protect its citizens and disrupt the campaigns of violence perpetrated by international cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The move is designed to deny Clan del Golfo access to funding and other resources essential to their operations.
“These designations are part of our broader strategy to target and dismantle transnational criminal networks that operate with terror and impunity,” a State Department spokesperson said.
The actions were taken under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, which enable the U.S. government to block assets and impose sanctions on individuals and organizations involved in terrorist activity. FTO designations take effect upon publication in the Federal Register.
The U.S. government’s move is expected to further isolate Clan del Golfo internationally, restricting its ability to operate freely and intensify the U.S. and international pressure against the group’s criminal enterprises.
This designation follows ongoing efforts by the U.S., Colombia, and international partners to curb narcotics trafficking and related violence in the region, highlighting the continuing global challenges posed by transnational criminal organizations.
