The report published by The New York Times shook Colombia this weekend: an illegal gold mine, controlled by the Gulf Clan (Clan del Golfo), allegedly operated not only in the nearby but within the perimeter of an active military base.
The revelation not only exposes the scale of the territorial power of the country’s main criminal organization, but also raises an uncomfortable question about the State’s capacity—or willingness—to control strategic areas under its own jurisdiction.
The government reacted quickly, and Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the opening of an investigation to clarify the facts and determine responsibility.
The institutional response seeks to contain a scandal that directly strikes at the credibility of the Armed Forces and reopens the debate over the penetration of illegal economies into state structures.
Reports claim the Gulf Clan is illegally mining gold at a Colombian military base
The investigation—led by journalist Federico Rios—documented the existence of the mine known as La Mandinga, linked to the Gulf Clan, which allegedly extended into the interior of the Rifles Battalion 31 in Antioquia, in northwestern Colombia.
Aerial images and testimonies gathered on the ground showed machinery, excavations, and workers operating even within the military perimeter, a situation that contradicts previous official statements that denied that possibility.
According to the reports, the gold extraction operation not only bordered the base, but also advanced toward sensitive areas of the installation, just a short distance from internal infrastructure.
This level of proximity—and in some cases overlap—has been interpreted by analysts as evidence of serious failures in controls or, in the worst-case scenario, tolerance of a highly lucrative criminal activity, something the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, denounced two years ago, sparking major controversy.
The Army itself has acknowledged the massive presence of illegal miners in the area for several years, suggesting that the phenomenon was not unknown to authorities. However, the magnitude now revealed and its exact location within the military perimeter raise the seriousness of the case to a political and judicial level.
Beyond the domestic scandal, the investigation also exposes the international dimension of the business. The gold illegally extracted by the Gulf Clan was allegedly introduced into legal circuits through fraudulent documentation and later exported to the United States, where it even ended up in official refining processes.
This finding highlights weaknesses in gold traceability systems and how criminal economies can infiltrate seemingly regulated global supply chains. Illegal mining has also become one of the main sources of financing for armed groups in Colombia, in some cases surpassing drug trafficking due to its profitability and lower visibility.
This is compounded by the environmental impact. The use of mercury in this type of operation causes severe damage to rivers and ecosystems, affecting entire communities and deepening health crises in already vulnerable regions.
Government response and launch of investigation
Following the publication, the Defense Minister announced the opening of a formal investigation to determine how an operation of this nature was able to develop within a military base. The inquiry will have to establish whether there were omissions, negligence, or possible acts of complicity by members of the Public Force.
“Zero tolerance for illegal mining and environmental crimes,” the Defense Minister argued, assuring that “no relationship between members of the defense sector and criminal economies” will be tolerated, nor will “omissions” in fulfilling the institutional duty to combat illegal mining be accepted.
Likewise, Sanchez defended the work of the Armed Forces in the fight against illegal mining in the country. “This year, we have intervened in around 2,500 illegal mines and destroyed nearly 1,000 machines used for illegal extraction. This represents an increase in results of more than 40% compared to the previous year,” he wrote on his X social media account.
Cero tolerancia con la minería ilegal y los delitos ambientales. Este año, hemos intervenido alrededor de 2.500 minas ilegales y destruido cerca de 1.000 máquinas utilizadas para la extracción ilegal. Esto representa un aumento de resultados superior al 40 % en comparación con el…
— Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez S. Orgullosamente Colombiano (@PedroSanchezCol) April 26, 2026
The government thus faces a dual challenge: responding to media and political pressure while at the same time delivering concrete results in a case that directly affects institutional legitimacy. It is not merely a matter of dismantling an illegal mine, but of clarifying the conditions that allowed it to operate for so long in a place that, in theory, should be under the State’s absolute control.
The case once again brings to the forefront the expansion capacity of the Gulf Clan, considered Colombia’s most significant criminal group. In recent years, the organization has expanded its territorial presence and diversified its sources of financing, combining drug trafficking, extortion, and illegal mining.
The infiltration of illicit economies into strategic areas, even under military control, reflects a broader phenomenon: the persistence of criminal structures that operate with a business-like logic, adapting to the opportunities of the illegal market and to the State’s weaknesses.