In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic tensions, the United States on Friday imposed sweeping sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, marking a rare move against the sitting leader of a longtime Latin American ally. The sanctions, announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, also targeted Petro’s wife, Veronica del Socorro Alcocer Garcia, his eldest son, Nicolas Fernando Petro Burgos, and Colombia’s Interior Minister, Armando Benedetti. The action comes amid mounting friction between Washington and Bogota, fueled by accusations that Petro’s administration has failed to curb—if not abetted—the surge of cocaine production flooding into the U.S.
"Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared in a statement, as reported by Reuters. Bessent accused Petro of permitting drug cartels to flourish and refusing to halt their activities. The new sanctions freeze any U.S. assets belonging to the targeted individuals and generally prohibit American citizens from engaging in business with them.
The move is the latest—and most severe—salvo in a months-long feud between President Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro. Tensions have been mounting for weeks, as the U.S. military ramped up its activity in the southern Caribbean, launching strikes against ships in international waters that American officials allege are carrying drugs. Trump, not one to mince words, recently labeled Petro an "illegal drug leader" after the Colombian president accused the U.S. of "murder" in connection with the strikes.
"Today, 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," Bessent added, according to TEMPO.CO. The U.S. State Department, for its part, announced that it would withdraw Colombia’s certification as a U.S. partner in anti-drug efforts. Spokesperson Tommy Pigott emphasized, "The United States will not turn a blind eye to Petro's efforts to ease tensions and embolden narcoterrorists." He asserted that the U.S. remains committed to supporting Colombia’s security forces, judicial institutions, and local officials in fighting drug trafficking.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly issued a stark 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." The language was unmistakably aggressive, highlighting the depth of the rift between the two administrations.
The sanctions follow a series of punitive measures against Petro and his inner circle. In late September, the U.S. State Department revoked Petro's visa after he made statements supporting Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Days before the sanctions, Trump announced a halt to "all payments" to Colombia, further straining relations. The list of sanctioned world leaders is short, but Petro now joins the ranks of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un—an exclusive, if dubious, club.
Petro, whose term is set to end in ten months, has consistently rejected the U.S. allegations. Speaking to thousands of supporters in downtown Bogota on Friday night, he insisted, "What the U.S. Treasury says is a lie. My government did not increase cocaine, it did the opposite, my government has seized more cocaine than in the whole history of the world." Petro further asserted that the expansion of coca plants—the raw material for cocaine—has slowed every year since 2021. On X (formerly Twitter), he called the sanctions "a complete paradox," referencing his own history of exposing links between Colombian lawmakers and paramilitary groups involved in narcotics trafficking.
Petro’s response has been both public and legal. He announced on X that he has hired an American attorney to challenge the Treasury’s actions. "Decades-long fight against drug trafficking—and its effective prosecution—has earned me this measure from the government of the very community we have helped curb cocaine use for so much," he wrote, as reported by CNN. Petro also emphasized that he has no assets in the United States, a point he reiterated to his supporters in Bogota.
The sanctions have swept up others in Petro’s orbit as well. Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, himself named in the Treasury’s action, took to X to defend Petro, stating he was punished merely for declaring that Petro was not a drug trafficker. Benedetti called the U.S. war on drugs a "sham." Meanwhile, Petro’s son Nicolas, already facing corruption charges in Colombia, claimed he was targeted solely due to his family ties and that his pending legal case is unrelated to drug trafficking.
While the imposition of sanctions on a head of state is rare, it is not without precedent. Still, the move has sent shockwaves through the region. Tensions between Washington and several Latin American countries have escalated in recent weeks, with the U.S. military’s increased presence in the Caribbean and direct action against vessels suspected—sometimes without public evidence—of carrying illicit drugs. The U.S. administration has justified these actions as necessary to stem the tide of narcotics entering American communities, but critics argue the approach risks inflaming already fragile diplomatic relationships.
The international reaction has been swift and divided. Brett Bruen, a former foreign policy adviser under President Barack Obama, criticized the Trump administration’s approach, telling Reuters, "These cowboy theatrics may play well to his base on social media, but they are creating very combustible conditions we will soon have to contend with on our doorstep." Supporters of the Trump administration, however, argue that tough measures are long overdue and that previous diplomatic efforts have failed to make a dent in the drug trade.
Colombia’s foreign ministry, in a meeting with the U.S. charge d’affaires, "reiterated the importance of the United States basing its assessments on accurate data regarding Colombia’s fight against drugs." The ministry’s statement underlines the Colombian government’s frustration at what it sees as a mischaracterization of its efforts and achievements. Petro has sought to end Colombia’s six-decade conflict through peace agreements and surrenders with rebel and criminal gangs, but so far, these initiatives have produced limited results.
Petro’s clashes with the U.S. have not been limited to the Trump administration. He previously sparred with President Joe Biden, particularly over the U.S. role in addressing Americans’ demand for illegal narcotics. Despite these disagreements, Petro and Biden maintained some cooperation on drug enforcement and shared common ground on issues such as climate change and migration.
The latest U.S. sanctions, however, mark a turning point. They threaten to further isolate Petro on the world stage, complicate Colombia’s access to international finance, and cast a long shadow over the country’s domestic policy. For now, the standoff continues, with both sides digging in and the future of U.S.-Colombian relations hanging in the balance.
As the dust settles, the message from Washington is clear: the United States expects results in the fight against drugs—and is prepared to use its considerable leverage to get them. Whether this approach will yield the desired outcome or deepen the divide between two critical allies remains to be seen.
