COLOMBIA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- The country Colombia is a close US security partner and the main source of the cocaine sold in the United States. It has been led since 7 August 2026 by conservative President Abelardo De la Espriella.
- Why it matters Drug cash earned in US cities allegedly moved through American bank accounts and shell companies on its way to Colombia. A federal court in Miami has charged the alleged courier.
- Why now The FBI wanted notice for Víctor Julián Duque was updated on Monday 26 October 2026, and the reward drew wide coverage that day.
- What happened The FBI offered up to US$10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Duque, charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. A federal arrest warrant has been outstanding since 22 October 2025.
- The numbers Up to US$10,000 in reward money. Nine people charged and one still at large, with more than US$54 million allegedly laundered since 2021.
- What it means for you Banks, payment firms and small businesses in the United States are where such schemes surface, through fictitious companies and cash deposits. Anyone with information can contact the FBI.
- Still open Where Duque is, whether Colombia would extradite him, and how directly the money reached the Clan del Golfo gang.
- Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.9 points (October 2026 edition).
In Plain English
The Clan del Golfo, or Gulf Clan, is a Colombian drug-trafficking group that the US State Department designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization in December 2025. The US list also gives it the names Clan Usuga, Los Urabeños and Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia.
Conspiracy to commit money laundering means prosecutors say two or more people agreed to hide the criminal origin of money. A shell company is a firm that exists mostly on paper and is used to open bank accounts.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to US$10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Víctor Julián Duque, a Colombian charged in a federal court in Miami with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Colombian outlets including Semana and El Colombiano reported the offer on Monday 26 October 2026, and the bureau’s wanted notice was updated the same day.
Those outlets say US authorities allege that cash from drug sales in the United States was sent to Colombia to benefit the Clan del Golfo, a gang Washington designated a terrorist organization in December 2025. The FBI’s English-language notice does not name the gang, so that link is an allegation carried by Spanish-language reports, and Duque is presumed innocent.
What the FBI Notice Says
The notice describes Duque as wanted for allegedly laundering narcotics proceeds of bulk cash in the United States, and it alleges the money was cleaned through fictitious businesses and then sent to Colombia. It lists him under the alias Víctor Julián Duque Tobón, born in Colombia, with ties to Pereira, Colombia, and San Antonio, Texas.
A federal arrest warrant was issued on 22 October 2025 by the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami, after he was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The notice lists the FBI’s Miami field office, and the reward is for information leading to his location and apprehension.
Semana and El Colombiano say the bureau believes Duque may be in Colombia. The FBI asks anyone with information to contact its nearest office, a US embassy or consulate, or to send a tip through tips.fbi.gov.
How the Network Allegedly Worked
Infobae, Semana and El País of Cali, citing the FBI, say the network recruited people to create fictitious companies and open bank accounts tied to those companies. Cash from drug sales was then deposited through ATMs and several bank branches and moved on to people and companies in the United States and Colombia.
The outlets say Duque acted as a courier who travelled from Colombia to the United States to collect large sums of cash earned from drug trafficking. They attribute to him deposits of US$459,953 into bank accounts linked to the network’s shell companies between 26 September 2022 and 24 March 2023.
The FBI presumes the organization has laundered more than US$54 million since 2021, Semana and Infobae report. Nine people have been charged, eight arrested and six convicted, which leaves Duque as the only fugitive among them.
The Gulf Clan and Its US Designation
The State Department describes the Clan del Golfo as “a violent and powerful criminal organization with thousands of members.” It says the group’s primary source of income is cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its violent activities.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on 16 December 2025, and the Foreign Terrorist Organization listing took effect on 17 December 2025. Colombia’s government is led by President Abelardo De la Espriella, who took office on 7 August 2026 for the 2026-2030 term.
Under US law it is unlawful for a person in the United States or subject to US jurisdiction to knowingly provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. The FBI notice does not mention the designation, and the sources reviewed do not say whether prosecutors rely on it in the Miami case.
Why Washington Watches Colombian Cash
The US Drug Enforcement Administration’s cocaine report for 2024 found that approximately 84% of the samples it classified that year came from Colombian coca. The FBI notice describes the return flow of that trade, with bulk cash collected in the United States and sent to Colombia.
Earlier coverage follows the three Clan del Golfo bosses put back on the wanted list in September and the October arrests described in Colombia Arrests 5 Gulf Clan Suspects, 1 Wanted by US. The Colombia hub collects the latest security, politics and economy stories.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the case shows how drug money can pass through ordinary American bank accounts and fictitious companies before it leaves the country. Banks and payment firms are where such schemes tend to surface, since the network allegedly relied on shell companies and ATM deposits.
Travellers to Colombia face no change from this notice, and the current security picture is set out in Colombia Security 2026: Hotspots, Safer Cities, US Advisory. Anyone with information about Duque can contact the nearest FBI office, a US embassy or consulate, or tips.fbi.gov.
What Is Not Known
The sources reviewed do not show where Duque is, beyond the belief of the FBI, as carried by Colombian outlets, that he is in Colombia. They also mention no extradition request, so it is unclear how Colombia would act if he were found.
The FBI’s English notice does not name the Clan del Golfo, the US$54 million estimate or the nine defendants, so those details rest on Colombian reports of the bureau’s communication. The court docket number and the names of the eight other defendants were not available in the sources reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Víctor Julián Duque?
He is a Colombian national, also listed as Víctor Julián Duque Tobón, wanted by the FBI on a Miami federal charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is presumed innocent, and the sources reviewed show no court ruling on the charge.
How much is the FBI reward for Duque?
The FBI offers up to US$10,000 for information leading to his location and apprehension. Tips go to the nearest FBI office, a US embassy or consulate, or tips.fbi.gov.
What is the Clan del Golfo?
It is a Colombian drug-trafficking group that the State Department calls a violent and powerful criminal organization with thousands of members. Washington designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization in December 2025.
What is Duque accused of doing?
Colombian outlets say he collected drug cash in the United States and deposited US$459,953 into shell-company accounts between September 2022 and March 2023. The FBI notice itself says only that he is wanted for laundering narcotics proceeds of bulk cash.
Does the FBI link the case to the Clan del Golfo?
Colombian outlets say US authorities allege the money was meant to benefit the gang. The FBI’s English wanted notice does not name it.
Sources: FBI wanted notice, Victor Julian Duque, published 15 October 2026 and updated 26 October 2026; Semana, 26 October 2026; Infobae, 27 October 2026; El Colombiano, 26 October 2026; El País Cali, 26 October 2026; Diario Las Américas, 26 October 2026; US State Department, Terrorist Designations of Clan del Golfo, 16 December 2025; Federal Register, Foreign Terrorist Organization Designation of Clan del Golfo, 17 December 2025; US State Department, Foreign Terrorist Organizations list; US Drug Enforcement Administration, CY 2024 Annual Cocaine Report; El Tiempo, 7 August 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief