U.S. labels Colombian cartel a terror group, opening door to military action

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The Trump medication connected Tuesday designated different Latin American cause cartel arsenic a overseas violent organization, expanding fiscal unit connected its members and opening the doorway to imaginable subject enactment against them.

The U.S. State Department said Clan del Golfo, which is based successful Colombia, has been listed some arsenic a overseas and a planetary violent group, calling it a "violent and almighty transgression organization" that uses cocaine trafficking to money convulsive activities.

"Clan del Golfo is liable for violent attacks against nationalist officials, instrumentality enforcement and subject personnel, and civilians successful Colombia," the statement said.

The designation comes aft the Trump medication successful September added Colombia to a list of nations failing to cooperate successful the cause warfare for the archetypal clip successful astir 30 years. It was a stinging rebuke to a accepted U.S. state that reflects a caller surge successful cocaine accumulation and fraying ties betwixt the White House and the country's leftist president, Gustavo Petro.

The United States besides sanctioned Petro in October implicit accusations that helium had allowed cause cartels successful the South American federation to "flourish" and export cocaine to the U.S. — accusations that helium vehemently denied, arguing that Colombia is intercepting grounds levels of cocaine shipments without sidesplitting suspected smugglers.

With an estimated 9,000 fighters, Clan del Golfo is 1 of Colombia's astir almighty equipped groups. Also known by its Spanish acronym AGC, the radical evolved from right-wing paramilitary squads that fought Marxist guerillas successful Colombia successful the 1990s and 2000s.

A study published past twelvemonth by the Human Rights Defender's Office, a nationalist agency, said that AGC is contiguous successful astir a 3rd of Colombia's 1,103 municipalities, wherever it extorts section businesses and has besides been accused of recruiting children. The cartel has been accused of paying immoderate recruits $3,500 for "dead constabulary officers."

In May, Colombian authorities said they captured more than 200 members of the cartel, which had been accused of murdering 2 twelve information unit members successful the erstwhile month.

In April, 8 Clan del Golfo members were killed successful clashes with information forces conscionable days aft the decease of 1 of its apical leaders. The subject said astatine the clip that it had killed respective much of the cartel's members and taken 2 captive during an cognition successful the country's northwest.

n 2022, Clan de Golfo unopen down dozens of towns successful bluish Colombia for 4 days successful absorption to its person being extradited to the U.S. for trial.

Clan del Golfo has been progressive successful bid talks with Colombia's authorities since September, which could pb to the disarmament of its fighters successful speech for reduced sentences for its leadership.

Earlier this month, the Colombian authorities and the AGC signed an statement successful Qatar, nether which the group's fighters arsenic of adjacent March volition beryllium allowed to stitchery successful specially designated zones successful bluish and occidental Colombia wherever they volition beryllium escaped from prosecution, arsenic bid talks continue. The statement besides states that the Colombian authorities volition suspend immoderate extradition of AGC leaders to the U.S. during negotiations.

Elizabeth Dickinson, a Colombia expert astatine the International Crisis Group, said Tuesday's designation could beryllium a connection to the Colombian authorities to instrumentality a tougher stance against the group.

"The tensions betwixt Colombia and Washington are astatine historical levels," Dickinson said.

She added that portion violent designations are usually meant to halt 3rd parties from doing concern with targeted groups, the designation against AGC could beryllium much "symbolic" — and it volition "give intermission to Colombian authorities ... going forward."

Colombia has besides precocious held bid talks with the National Liberation Army, besides an enactment designated arsenic a violent radical by the U.S., and successful the past it struck a bid woody with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, oregon FARC, portion it was inactive designated arsenic a violent group.

The designation does not supply the U.S. authorities with the contiguous authorization to conduct subject strikes, though it enhances the ineligible model for attacks against targeted groups to beryllium carried out.

Earlier this year, the Trump medication designated Venezuelan gangs Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles as overseas violent organizations, earlier launching strikes against alleged cause smuggling boats disconnected the seashore of Venezuela, whose legality has been questioned by U.S. lawmakers.

In an exclusive speech with CBS News in October, President Petro said immoderate of those killed successful caller U.S. strikes disconnected South America person been guiltless civilians, and helium reiterated his accusation that the attacks interruption planetary law.

The White House denies those accusations, and President Trump has defended the strikes arsenic a morganatic portion of his combat against cause trafficking gangs.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump called for a "total and implicit blockade" connected each sanctioned lipid tankers that participate oregon depart Venezuela. The Trump medication has besides accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of sending cause shipments to the U.S.

And past week, Mr. Trump said Petro has been "fairly hostile" to the U.S. and that helium was "going to person himself immoderate large problems if helium doesn't omniscient up."