U.S. to Designate Cran del Golfo as a Foreign Terrorist Organization
The State Department is set to announce on Tuesday the designation of Cran del Golfo, a Colombian organized crime militia linked to cocaine and human trafficking, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), as reported by Breitbart News.
Additionally, Cran del Golfo will also be identified as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), which carries significant sanctions for its members and leaders. The announcement comes alongside reports from Colombian newspapers.
A senior official from the State Department stated, “Cran del Golfo is not merely a drug cartel; it is a foreign terrorist organization causing immense suffering to the Colombian populace and jeopardizing regional stability.” The official emphasized that dismantling this group would involve various measures, including sanctions, law enforcement, intelligence operations, and collaboration with international partners.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to echo similar sentiments in his remarks, referring to Cran del Golfo as a “violent and powerful criminal organization with thousands of affiliates.” He highlighted that the primary income source for the group is cocaine trafficking, which financially supports their violent activities. Rubio noted that Cran del Golfo has been responsible for attacks against Colombian officials, law enforcement, and civilians.
In January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that streamlined the process for the State Department to list drug cartels and organized crime groups as FTOs and SDGTs. He articulated that transnational cartels pose a significant national security threat that transcends traditional organized crime, necessitating an expansion of resources for U.S. authorities.
The executive order mentioned that cartels exert control over nearly all illegal traffic crossing the U.S. southern border through violence and intimidation, labeling them as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to national security and the economy. While the order primarily targets Mexican drug cartels, its implications extend to other organized drug trafficking organizations as well.
Entities appearing on the FTO list are subject to rigorous sanctions intended to restrict their ability to engage in terrorist activities. Currently, members of Cran del Golfo are barred from entering the U.S., and individuals present in the country face potential deportation. Additionally, their assets within the U.S. may be frozen, and providing any support to the group is now illegal.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has stipulated that foreign individuals engaging in restricted transactions with SDGT-designated entities may face civil or criminal penalties. Even financial institutions that facilitate substantial transactions for these groups risk serious sanctions.
Cran del Golfo has evolved from various armed factions in Colombia’s turbulent guerrilla period and has grown significantly, particularly under the leadership of the Usuga brothers, Giovanni and Othoniel, who have expanded its reach and influence. Othoniel was captured, extradited to the United States, and sentenced to 45 years in prison earlier this year.
While the organization has seen arrests of key leaders, it continues to thrive in cocaine trafficking, gaining control over smaller criminal factions in northern Colombia and increasing its membership to thousands. They are also reportedly involved in illegal mining and human trafficking across borders, particularly in the Darien Gap region of Panama.
The organization is currently led by Giovanni de Jesús Avila Villadiego, known as “Chiquito Malo,” and estimates suggest it may have as many as 10,000 members. This terrorist designation comes amid rising global concerns about the cocaine trade, evident in this year’s United Nations Annual Report on Drug Crime, which indicates record production levels, predominantly from Colombia.
Drug trafficking has surged under President Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla member. Petro has controversially remarked that cocaine is “no worse than whisky” and has defended its use under certain contexts. Despite efforts for negotiations and peace, disarmament talks have stalled, leaving many with doubts about the progress in resolving ongoing violence linked to Cran del Golfo.
