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The United States Government has taken a decisive step in its strategy against transnational organized crime by officially designating the Colombian group Clan del Golfo as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
The measure, announced on December 16 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is based on the provisions of section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224.
A "violent and powerful criminal organization"
“El Clan del Golfo is a violent and powerful criminal organization with thousands of members,” Rubio noted in the official statement from the State Department.
The group, also known as the Gaitanist Army of Colombia (EGC) or Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, is considered the largest criminal gang in the South American country, with an estimated 9,000 members.
Its main source of income is cocaine trafficking, which finances a sustained campaign of violence.
"He uses cocaine trafficking to finance his violent activities," the Secretary of State emphasized. Washington holds him responsible for terrorist attacks against public officials, law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians in Colombia.
Reasons for the designation: terrorism financed by drug trafficking
The decision by the State Department reflects the commitment of the U.S. to employ "all available tools to protect our nation and to stop the campaigns of violence and terror carried out by international cartels and transnational criminal organizations," the statement indicates.
This designation reinforces international pressure on an organization whose criminal network has global reach.
According to data from the Colombian police - cited by Euronews - the Gulf Clan has operated in at least 28 countries, thanks to alliances with Mexican cartels such as Sinaloa or Jalisco New Generation, as well as with European mafias, including Italian and Balkan networks.
Legal impact and asset freezing
The inclusion on the list of foreign terrorist organizations has significant legal consequences in the United States.
The authorities may proceed with the freezing of assets, the prohibition of financial transactions, and criminal prosecution for direct or indirect collaboration with the organization.
These measures also enable Washington to strengthen its international cooperation by restricting the Gulf Clan's access to financial resources, weapons, and support networks.
Context: peace dialogues and diplomatic tensions
The appointment comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Colombia.
Since last September, the government of President Gustavo Petro and the Gulf Clan have begun a peace dialogue process in Doha (Qatar), with the mediation of countries such as Spain, Norway, Switzerland, and Qatar.
In December, the creation of three special zones in the north and west of the country was announced, where fighters from the group will be temporarily located starting in March 2026.
This move by the U.S. could have implications for those negotiations by labeling the Clan not only as a criminal threat but also as a terrorist entity.
Moreover, it occurs amidst bilateral tensions between Washington and Bogotá, characterized by the verbal exchanges between Petro and Donald Trump, and the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean as part of its anti-drug campaign.
Precedents: offensive against cartels and gangs
Since Trump returned to power in January 2025, his administration has intensified the offensive against drug trafficking.
In addition to the Gulf Clan, it has designated the six main Mexican cartels (Sinaloa, CJNG, Noreste, Gulf Cartel, United Cartels, and the New Mexican Family) as terrorist organizations.
It has also designated gangs such as Tren de Aragua, MS-13, Barrio 18, and the Ecuadorian groups Los Lobos and Los Choneros as terrorist organizations.
It has even included in the list the Cartel of the Suns, supposedly led by the Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro, an accusation categorically rejected by Caracas.
Persistence of the Clan after the fall of 'Otoniel'
Although the capture in 2021 of its historic leader Dairo Antonio Úsuga, alias 'Otoniel', was a significant blow, the Gulf Clan has not disbanded.
According to Colombian authorities, the organization has fragmented into regional cells, without diminishing its capacity to generate violence or its international presence.
Before the arrest of Otoniel, the criminal network was moving about 20 tons of cocaine each month, some of which reached Europe hidden in containers of agricultural products.
Ports like Rotterdam, Antwerp, and southern Spain were key points in their distribution route.
Trump toughens his rhetoric: "Colombia will be next."
Washington's decision against the Gulf Clan comes amidst a climate of high diplomatic tension between the Trump administration and the Colombian government.
In a recent press conference at the White House, President Donald Trump leveled strong accusations against President Gustavo Petro, whom he labeled a "narcotrafficker" and accused of allowing Colombia to become a "drug production hub."
"Colombia will be next," Trump warned.
"They have cocaine factories that send the product directly to the United States," he stated.
The Republican leader emphasized that Petro "is going to have big problems if he doesn't realize," and highlighted his perception that the Colombian president is "quite hostile towards the United States."
These statements add to a growing escalation of measures taken by his administration: the decertification of Colombia in terms of drug enforcement, the revocation of Petro's visa, and the suspension of all U.S. subsidies and payments to the South American country.
Tension escalated further after the recent bombing of a submarine in the Caribbean by U.S. forces, as part of the "war against the cartels."
Washington stated that he was transporting drugs from Venezuela, while Petro assured that the attack occurred in Colombian territorial waters, leaving one Colombian and one Ecuadorian among the survivors.
This new verbal clash between Trump and Petro reflects the accelerated deterioration of bilateral relations, at a time when Colombia is trying to advance peace processes with armed organizations, while the United States strengthens its military and legal strategy against transnational drug trafficking.
Conclusion: A strong political and legal signal
The U.S. decision to designate the Gulf Clan as a terrorist organization is a clear message that it no longer views them merely as a drug trafficking group, but as an actor that destabilizes governments, societies, and borders, both in America and beyond.
The measure deepens the doctrine of equating cartels with terrorist groups, consolidating a strategy that expands the legal tools for combating transnational organized crime.
Meanwhile, the peace process between Colombia and the Clan del Golfo faces a new obstacle: one that imposes severe limits on any future concessions, as it now involves an entity classified as a terrorist organization by one of the world's leading powers.
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