Fight against the Gulf clan

Military helicopter crashes in Colombia: 9 dead

All nine occupants of a military helicopter have died in a crash in the north of Colombia. The Mi-17 helicopter crashed near the town of Arenal in the department of Bolívar, the army announced on Monday.

"I regret the death of the nine soldiers in the military helicopter that was supposed to supply troops in the south of Bolívar in the fight against the Gulf clan," wrote President Gustavo Petro on the news platform X (formerly Twitter).

Clan is said to have 6,000 men under arms
The "Clan del Golfo" (Gulf Clan) is the most powerful criminal organization in Colombia. The crime syndicate recruits its members mainly from former right-wing paramilitaries and is said to have around 6,000 men under arms.

Drugs, murders, protection rackets
In addition to drug trafficking, the Gulf clan is also involved in illegal mining and protection rackets and is responsible for numerous murders and expulsions. Last year, former cartel boss Dairo Antonio Úsuga, alias "Otoniel", was sentenced to 45 years in prison in the USA.

Country is the largest producer of cocaine
In Colombia, criminal gangs earn almost as much money from illegal mining as they do from the cocaine trade. The country is the world's largest producer of cocaine, with the Gulf clan said to be responsible for 30 to 60 percent of drug exports.