Colombia says eight killed in air strike on Gulf Clan

The strike targeted a Gulf Clan faction in rural Tarazá, in the north-western department of Antioquia, De la Espriella said in an announcement on 11 November. He said he had authorised the operation, which was carried out by the army with police intelligence and air force support.

The president identified one of the dead as Haminton Mosquera, known as ‘Negro Perea’, whom he described as a senior Gulf Clan leader and one of Colombia’s ten priority targets. He called the death toll preliminary. El Colombiano reported that the president said the bodies had been taken to Montería for full identification.

De la Espriella said Mosquera was suspected of ordering attacks on the security forces, including the killing of a police officer in Tarazá in 2025.

The president was elected in June after campaigning on a promise to crack down on criminal gangs, including through air strikes. The Gulf Clan is Colombia’s largest criminal gang; its activities include cocaine trafficking, illegal mining and people smuggling, according to the BBC.

After the strike, Tarazá’s mayor, Yomer Fabián Álvarez, called for a stronger state presence and social investment alongside military operations, local broadcaster Telemedellín reported.