Gold in Darién: Panama seeks to break the Clan del Golfo's complex illicit system

In the dense jungle of Darién, along the Panama-Colombia border, a complex illegal economy thrives on the extraction of gold, controlled by Colombia's most powerful criminal organization, the Clan del Golfo. Panamanian authorities are determined to dismantle this illicit system, which devastates the landscape and fuels criminal activity. Water pumps and pipes, starkly visible in the Mangle River, mark the presence of illegal mining camps, where individuals flee at the sound of Panamanian security forces' helicopters.

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There is a complex system of illicit economy, and that is what we are trying to break.

Héctor De Sedas Cedeño, deputy director general of the National Border Service (Senafront), stated that the goal is to break the intricate web of illegal gold extraction managed by the Clan del Golfo. Reaching the remote Mangle River involves a challenging hour-long helicopter flight from Nicanor in Metetí, Darién province. Senafront has conducted recent operations in the area, resulting in the capture of 30 individuals, both Panamanian and Colombian, though illegal mining activities persist.

"Our units are already heading to that location, it takes four to seven days of patrolling, depending on weather conditions, through the jungle, with specialized training to, as we have done before, capture" the illegal miners, De Sedas Cedeño explained. During the most recent operation at the Mangle River, thirteen people were arrested, including "members of the Clan del Golfo." He emphasized that no illicit activities occur in Darién without the Clan del Golfo's control originating from Colombian territory.

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No illicit activities occur in Darién without the Clan del Golfo's control originating from Colombian territory.

The Clan del Golfo's criminal enterprises extend beyond drug trafficking to include migrant smuggling, illegal mining, and extortion. De Sedas Cedeño recalled that during the significant migrant crisis in Darién, Senafront engaged in firefights with these groups involved in human trafficking. The organization profits by charging migrants to enter Panamanian territory and by imposing a roughly 20% tax on gold extracted from the Panamanian side before purchasing it from illegal miners. "So, there is a complex system of illicit economy, and that is what we are trying to break," De Sedas Cedeño asserted.

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The Clan del Golfo obtains illicit money by charging for entry into Panamanian territory. When that gold (extracted from the Panamanian side) enters Colombia, they (the miners) have to pay a percentage, estimated at 20% of the total, and on top of that, they also buy the gold from these illegal miners.