Escalation of Violence in Colombia Involving Clan del Golfo Prompts Heightened Security Efforts
Violence tied to Clan del Golfo has marked a severe uptick in the Bolívar region, with a soldier killed and seven others wounded during a combined urban and rural search operation near Montecristo in the northern corridor. Authorities reported that a police officer in the area was also injured. Medical teams provided on-site care, stabilizing the wounded before they were transported to a private hospital for extended treatment. Officials stressed that ongoing operations in the zone aim to locate and apprehend those responsible while investigations continue to assess potential breaches of international humanitarian law and human rights protections in the incident.
Clan del Golfo, broadly identified as Colombia’s largest criminal network, had previously called for a four-day armed strike that unsettled communities across several regions. The campaign reportedly produced hundreds of violent incidents and disrupted essential services in many municipalities. Analysts tied the unrest to the extradition of the gang’s alleged leader, Dairo Antonio Usuga, known as Otoniel, to the United States. The extradition shifted the security dynamics, prompting authorities to tighten patrols and adjust urban and rural checkpoints in affected zones to deter further violence and protect civilians who bear the heaviest burden in these confrontations.
In response, President Iván Duque condemned the gang’s actions as cowardly and aimed at pressuring authorities during a period focused on justice and accountability. To counter the group, the government introduced the Search Block, a coordinated effort to locate and neutralize the gang leadership. The operation brings together hundreds of police personnel and a substantial army presence, with teams deployed across strategic regions including Necoclí and Carepa in Antioquia. Officials described the plan as unprecedented in reach and intensity, with the overarching goal of severing the organizational command, dismantling the leadership network, and disrupting the group’s operational abilities. The initiative emphasizes due process and civilian safety while being supported by a prosecutorial unit that ensures timely investigations and rapid prosecutions for those apprehended, alongside measures to accelerate formal procedures aimed at dismantling the organization’s illicit infrastructure.