Colombian air strike kills Gulf Clan leader in Antioquia
President Abelardo de la Espriella authorized a military air strike in Antioquia that killed eight people, including senior Gulf Clan leader Haminton Mosquera, as part of an intensified campaign against the criminal group.
Eight suspected members of the Gulf Clan were killed in a Colombian military air strike in Antioquia province. President Abelardo de la Espriella personally authorized the operation, which targeted a faction camp in the rural area of Tarazá.
The strike, part of Operation Nehemías, resulted in the seizure of weapons and the destruction of the camp. Colombian forces recovered five rifles, two pistols, four anti-personnel mines, and communication equipment.
Target and leadership
Among the dead was Haminton Mosquera, alias “Negro Perea”. President de la Espriella identified him as a senior Gulf Clan member and one of ten priority targets for the country’s security forces. Mosquera was suspected of ordering attacks against security personnel, including the killing of a police officer in Tarazá last year.
Presidential authorization
President Abelardo de la Espriella confirmed he personally ordered the bombing. He announced the operation on Wednesday and stated it was carried out by the Army and Air Force with intelligence support from the National Police.
The president has frequently worn military attire since taking office. He defended this choice, stating he wore the uniform because 'I am a soldier of the homeland' and to 'honour the heroes, police officers and military'. In a related gesture, he shared a photo of himself writing his campaign slogan 'Welcome to the miracle homeland' on a bomb.
Context and broader campaign
The air strike is part of the government’s intensified military campaign against armed criminal groups. President de la Espriella was elected in June on a platform promising to crack down on Colombia's powerful criminal gangs. He has vowed to sustain the offensive and restore government control over territories held by groups like the Gulf Clan.
The Gulf Clan, also known as Clan del Golfo or Gaitanist Self-Defence Forces of Colombia, is considered the country’s largest criminal organisation. It has operated for decades and is involved in cocaine trafficking to the United States and Europe, illegal mining, extortion, and human smuggling. Last year, the United States designated the Gulf Clan a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.
Critics have raised concerns about the risks of air strikes. Colombia’s National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences reported at least eight minors have died in such operations, highlighting the danger to youths recruited by criminal groups. The president has previously released a video, less than a month after assuming office, showing him walking past 23 body bags from a prior air strike on a suspected guerrilla camp.
President de la Espriella pledged that the offensive will continue without pause.
