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The United States has designated Colombia’s Clan del Golfo as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, Clan del Golfo is a Colombian criminal organization that emerged in the mid-2000s following the demobilization of right-wing paramilitary groups under President Álvaro Uribe. Also known as the Gaitanist Army of Colombia (EGC), the group quickly grew into the country’s most powerful drug trafficking network. With an estimated 9,000 armed members, Clan del Golfo operates primarily in northern Colombia, wielding control over key smuggling corridors. They make their money from cocaine trafficking, illegal gold mining, extortion, and migrant smuggling through the Darién Gap. Despite the 2021 capture and US extradition of their former leader, Dairo Antonio Úsuga (alias “Otoniel”), the organization has continued to expand under new leadership.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, the US Department of State has formally designated Clan del Golfo as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), a move thatsignificantly expands the United States’ legal and financial tools against the group. The designation allows US authorities to freeze any assets linked to Clan del Golfo within the US financial system and makes it a criminal offense for individuals or entities, including US citizens, to knowingly provide the group with material support, funding, or services.

The designation is part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to treat major transnational cartels and criminal networks as national security threats rather than solely criminal enterprises. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Clan del Golfo finances its operations primarily through cocaine trafficking and has carried out terrorist attacks against public officials, law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians in Colombia.

In Colombia, the designation has raised serious concerns, particularly because Clan del Golfo has been engaged in peace talks with President Gustavo Petro’s government. Analysts and Colombian officials worry that the FTO label could complicate negotiations, especially around extradition guarantees and security arrangements for talks held abroad.