US labels Colombia's Clan del Golfo as terrorist organisation amid peace talks

The United States government has formally labeled Colombia's Clan del Golfo, the largest remaining criminal gang in the country, as a terrorist organisation. This designation was announced through a formal statement which was posted on the US Treasury Department's website on Tuesday (December 16). Under President Donald Trump, the US took a more aggressive stance by classifying various Latin American criminal organisations as terrorist entities, aiming to increase penalties for anyone providing support to them. These groups, according to Washington, are deeply involved in trafficking drugs and migrants into the US.

Under the former US President Joe Biden administration, the US ramped up its actions against the Clan del Golfo, imposing sanctions on its senior leaders last year. The gang, which has recently rebranded itself as the Gaitanist Army of Colombia, has long been a major player in Colombia’s drug trade.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the group in a statement, labeling it a "violent and powerful criminal organisation." He emphasised that its principal source of income remains cocaine trafficking, and the gang has also been linked to various terrorist attacks in Colombia.

Meanwhile, negotiations are ongoing between Clan del Golfo and Colombia’s left-wing government under President Gustavo Petro. Talks, which are taking place in Qatar, form part of Petro’s controversial plan to end decades of armed conflict in Colombia. Petro’s tenure concludes in August 2026, and officials are seeking to make any progress in the peace process irreversible before a new administration takes charge next year. Despite presenting itself as a political entity like other Colombian insurgent groups, Clan del Golfo’s intentions are largely seen as driven by criminal motives, not political ideology.