All articles tagged with #gulf clan
At least 18 people were killed in Colombia due to two attacks attributed to dissident factions of the FARC rebel group, including a drone downing a police helicopter and a car bombing in Cali, with President Gustavo Petro labeling these groups as terrorists and calling for international pursuit.
Dairo Antonio Úsuga, also known as Otoniel, the former leader of the notorious Gulf Clan drug cartel in Colombia, has been sentenced to 45 years in prison in the United States for high-level drug trafficking charges. Úsuga pleaded guilty to overseeing the smuggling of tons of cocaine and admitted to the violence associated with his criminal activities. The U.S. agreed not to seek a life sentence in order to extradite him from Colombia, where he may face further prosecution. Despite evading capture for years, Úsuga was finally apprehended and his sentencing sends a message that criminal kingpins will be held accountable.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suspended the ceasefire with the Gulf Clan, the country's main drug trafficking cartel, accusing it of "sowing anxiety and terror". The ceasefire had been agreed in December as part of the president's plan for "total peace" in Colombia. Its suspension is a major blow to Mr Petro's attempt to end armed conflict. The cartel has a presence in many of Colombia's provinces and has established international connections with other criminal organisations, with whom it collaborates to smuggle drugs from Colombia to the US and as far away as Russia.