US designates Colombia's Clan del Golfo as a terrorist organization, citing narcotics trafficking

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

The move marks the latest step by Washington to bolster counter-narcotics and security efforts near the Colombia–Venezuela border. Tensions in the region have escalated 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 has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks, primarily funded through drug trafficking.

"Today, the Department of State is designating Clan del Golfo as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)," Rubio said.

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio before a meeting in Paris April 17, 2025.  (Julien De Rosa/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

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

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People walking in Bello, a city and suburb of Medellín, 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 well over a decade. It primarily operates in Colombia, known as the world’s largest producer of cocaine, and traffics drugs across borders, including into the United States.

"The United States will continue to use all available tools to protect our nation and stop the campaigns of violence and terror committed by international cartels and transnational criminal organizations," Rubio added. "We are committed to denying funding and resources to these terrorists."

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Police open an impounded package of cocaine. (Horacio Villalobos Corbis/Corbis)

The designation underscores the group’s threat to U.S. national security and may raise penalties for individuals and entities who support the network.

Over the past several months, the Trump administration has carried out dozens of lethal strikes against boats suspected of smuggling drugs. The operations aim to dismantle narco-terrorist networks, such as U.S.-designated terrorist groups Tren de Aragua in Venezuela and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional.