The diplomatic relationship between the United States and Colombia, once a cornerstone of Washington’s anti-narcotics strategy in Latin America, has spiraled into an unprecedented crisis. On October 24, 2025, the US Treasury Department announced sweeping sanctions against Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his wife, his eldest son, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, accusing them of failing to curb drug trafficking and allowing cartels to flourish. The move, which freezes any US assets belonging to those targeted and generally bars Americans from dealing with them, marks a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two nations.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a stark message in a statement: "President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity." He added, "President Trump is taking strong action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate the trafficking of drugs into our nation." According to Bessent, cocaine production in Colombia has "exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans." The US, he said, could no longer ignore the proliferation of illicit drugs or Petro’s alleged appeasement of narco-terrorists.
In tandem with the sanctions, the US revoked Colombia’s certification as an ally in the war on drugs—effectively cutting off the country’s access to crucial financial support. The US also announced the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, and its full air wing to the Caribbean. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the move would "bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere." Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reported that US forces had carried out ten strikes on suspected drug traffickers in the region since September, killing 43 individuals, including six in the latest operation.
The US actions have not gone unchallenged. President Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing leader, responded defiantly on social media: "Combating drug trafficking effectively for decades brings me this measure from the government of the society we helped so much to stop its use of cocaine. Quite a paradox, but not one step back and never on our knees." Petro has consistently argued that his administration has made record cocaine seizures and has prioritized peace negotiations between warring cartels—a campaign promise he called "total peace." Yet, critics point to mounting attacks and stalled negotiations as evidence that his approach is faltering.
Petro’s wife and son, both sanctioned, have publicly decried the US measures. Nicolás Petro, already facing corruption charges in Colombia unrelated to drug trafficking, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that he was targeted solely for being the president’s son. Interior Minister Armando Benedetti also took to social media, claiming he was penalized for defending Petro and denouncing the US anti-drug fight as a "sham."
The diplomatic rift has deepened in recent months. President Trump, who has repeatedly referred to Petro as a "drug leader" or "drug trafficker," warned from the Oval Office: "He's a guy that is making a lot of drugs. He better watch it, or we'll take very serious action against him and his country." Following Colombia’s demands to halt US military strikes on boats off its coast—strikes Petro claims killed innocent fishermen—Trump responded with insults, the cancellation of US foreign assistance, and threats of punitive tariffs.
Petro has not shied away from criticizing US foreign policy more broadly. In September, the US revoked his visa after he participated in pro-Palestinian protests at the United Nations, where he urged American soldiers to "not to point their guns at people. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity." Petro accused the US of ignoring international law and described the visa revocation as evidence that Washington "no longer respects international law." He also used a speech at the UN to argue that recent US air strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean were not about controlling the drug trade but about "violence to dominate Colombia and Latin America."
Colombia, once a linchpin of US anti-narcotics efforts, is now at a crossroads. Under previous administrations, the country received hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance annually and hosted US-trained narcotics agents. But the US now claims that since Petro took office, Colombia’s coca fields have expanded to record levels. Researcher Héctor Galeano from the Colombia-based Institute of Advanced Social and Cultural Studies of Latin America and the Caribbean confirmed, "Cocaine production is currently at record-high levels in Colombia." The US Treasury asserts that much of this cocaine is purchased by Mexican cartels and smuggled into the United States.
Petro, for his part, has blamed Western demand for cocaine as the root cause of Colombia’s drug woes. He insists that reducing demand in the US and Europe is essential to curbing coca cultivation in Colombia. He further contends that the surge in coca planting began under his predecessor, Iván Duque, and that his government has actually stemmed the growth. "My government has seized more cocaine than any in the entire history of the world," Petro declared in Spanish, describing the US sanctions as "an arbitrariness typical of an oppressive regime."
The US move to sanction a sitting head of state is rare, though not without precedent. Leaders of Russia, North Korea, and Venezuela have previously been targeted in similar fashion. The decision has drawn applause from some US lawmakers, particularly those representing large Colombian American communities. Representative Maria Elvira Salazar, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, posted on X, "GREAT MOVE, Petro is a problem for Colombia and our hemisphere!" She went further, labeling Petro a "socialist dictator."
Meanwhile, the Colombian government has announced it will cease buying weapons from the US, signaling a further unraveling of bilateral cooperation. As the tit-for-tat escalates, both sides appear entrenched. The US insists on a hardline approach, with White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly warning, "President Trump has been clear that President Petro better close up these killing fields immediately or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely."
With peace negotiations faltering, violence on the rise, and diplomatic ties fraying, the US-Colombia relationship faces its most serious test in decades. The outcome will not only shape the future of anti-narcotics policy in the Western Hemisphere but could redefine the geopolitical landscape of the region for years to come.