The United States has designated a notorious drug-trafficking organization in Colombia as a terrorist group. The US Treasury Department added the group, known as Clan del Golfo or Gulf Clan, to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
The designation came just hours after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order classifying the drug fentanyl as a 'weapon of mass destruction'. The two moves are seen as a further ramping-up of the Trump administration's war on drugs, which has also seen it carry out more than 20 lethal strikes on boats suspected to be carrying drugs in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
More than 90 people were killed in the strikes on the boats, which some legal experts say breach the law. Clan del Golfo is the latest Latin American criminal group to be added to the US Treasury's list of FTOs. The group has been engaging in criminal activities for decades, mainly trafficking cocaine from Colombia, the largest producer of the drug, to destinations in the US and Europe.
In a statement announcing its designation as an FTO, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the group was also behind terrorist attacks against public officials, law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians in Colombia. It is estimated to have thousands of members and is thought to be the largest cocaine-trafficking gang currently operating in the country.
The FTO designation of the Clan del Golfo by the US comes less than a fortnight after Colombia's President, Gustavo Petro, signed a landmark agreement with the group aimed at bringing peace to the areas under its control. Petro campaigned on a promise to bring 'total peace' to the South American country, which has suffered from cartel and guerrilla violence for decades. However, the designation of the Clan del Golfo as an FTO complicates the diplomatic efforts between the Colombian government and the gang.
The immediate effect of the FTO designation is that the US will have more powers to punish the group, with its assets being frozen and individuals potentially facing prosecution for providing material support. Trump has indicated that land strikes against drug traffickers could follow the air assaults on suspected boats, further escalating the situation in the region.
The designation came just hours after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order classifying the drug fentanyl as a 'weapon of mass destruction'. The two moves are seen as a further ramping-up of the Trump administration's war on drugs, which has also seen it carry out more than 20 lethal strikes on boats suspected to be carrying drugs in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
More than 90 people were killed in the strikes on the boats, which some legal experts say breach the law. Clan del Golfo is the latest Latin American criminal group to be added to the US Treasury's list of FTOs. The group has been engaging in criminal activities for decades, mainly trafficking cocaine from Colombia, the largest producer of the drug, to destinations in the US and Europe.
In a statement announcing its designation as an FTO, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the group was also behind terrorist attacks against public officials, law enforcement, military personnel, and civilians in Colombia. It is estimated to have thousands of members and is thought to be the largest cocaine-trafficking gang currently operating in the country.
The FTO designation of the Clan del Golfo by the US comes less than a fortnight after Colombia's President, Gustavo Petro, signed a landmark agreement with the group aimed at bringing peace to the areas under its control. Petro campaigned on a promise to bring 'total peace' to the South American country, which has suffered from cartel and guerrilla violence for decades. However, the designation of the Clan del Golfo as an FTO complicates the diplomatic efforts between the Colombian government and the gang.
The immediate effect of the FTO designation is that the US will have more powers to punish the group, with its assets being frozen and individuals potentially facing prosecution for providing material support. Trump has indicated that land strikes against drug traffickers could follow the air assaults on suspected boats, further escalating the situation in the region.
