After working with their counterparts in Panama and the United States, Colombian authorities seized 5.4 tonnes of cocaine worth $185 million, Colombia's Navy stated Wednesday, July 14.

Clan del Golfo's Cocaine Product

Authorities from the Andean country found the drugs inside a speedboat, which fled back into the waters of Colombia after being detected by Panamanian authorities. The Navy mentioned in their statement that the Colombian coast guard pursued the vessel, and that's when they found out that the boat was part of drug trafficking.

Moreover, after an area inspection, members of the Colombian coast guard found the suspicious vessel. Authorities then conducted a thorough inspection inside the vessel, wherein members of the coast guard found 81 sacks on board and another 147 sacks hidden in the surrounding vegetation. All of the recovered sacks contained cocaine.

According to U.S. News, the commander of Colombia's Caribbean Naval Task Force, Rear Admiral Juan Rozo Obregon, stated that if the contraband had arrived whether in the United States or even Europe, it means 16 million doses of drugs that could have gone to the streets, which would have affected the public health.

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Based on the investigation of Colombian authorities, the drugs belonged to the Clan del Golfo criminal gang. The said group was led by Dairo Antonio Usuga, also known as "Otoniel," the most-wanted drug trafficking suspect in Colombia.

On the other hand, despite decades of fighting against drug trafficking by the Colombian government, the country remained one of the world's top producers of cocaine. The Andean country had faced constant pressure from the United States to reduce its crops and stop the production of cocaine by the drug cartels. The said drug also financed Colombia's internal armed conflict, which have been ongoing for many years.

Despite the destruction of some 130,000 hectares or 321,000 acres of coca plantations in 2020 by the security forces of Colombia and their confiscation of around 505 tonnes of cocaine, drug cartels still managed to deliver the drugs to its consumers, especially in the U.S.

The Clan del Golfo, also known as the Gulf Clan, is considered by authorities as Colombia's largest criminal gang, which is made up of former far-right paramilitaries. In January 2016, a high-ranking military official revealed that the drug group was composed of some 1,600 members.

The Defense Ministry of Colombia stated earlier this week that five members of the Clan del Golfo were killed in the Norte de Santander province in the country. The operation also ended the life of one of the group's regional leaders. Also, the ministry stated that another five members were captured during a military operation, Dhaka Tribune reported.

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Written by Jess Smith

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