US probes Colombian president's alleged drug links — reports

Federal prosecutors in the United States are investigating Colombian President Gustavo Petro for alleged ties to drug traffickers, according to US media reports.

Petro has been designated a "priority target" by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Associated Press news agency reported.

What do we know about the investigation into Colombia's president?

According to the DEA's records, Petro has appeared in multiple investigations dating to 2022, AP said.

The ⁠New ⁠York Times reported Friday that Petro is under criminal investigation by at least two US federal prosecutors' offices. AP said the prosecutors involved were from the New York boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Investigators are reportedly looking into whether Petro had met with drug traffickers and whether his campaign had solicited donations from them.

Responding to the news of the investigation, Petro wrote on X: "I have never spoken to a drug trafficker in my life."

He added that he had "always" instructed his election campaign managers not to accept donations from "bankers nor drug traffickers."

Reuters news agency, however, cited someone familiar with the matter who said that "there are not ongoing investigations that are squarely focused on ​[Petro]."

The source told Reuters that the Colombian president's conduct had surfaced as part of the ongoing investigations into narco-terrorism by US attorneys' offices in New York.

Petro has repeatedly denied allegations of drug trafficking, especially after Trump called him an "illegal drug leader" and the US Treasury Department sanctioned him in 2025, without providing evidence for the alleged ties.

Strained US-Colombia relations

Tensions between the United States and Colombia have been strained in recent months over the Trump administration's crackdown on narcotics smugglers in Latin America.

US President Donald Trumphas repeatedly been at odds with the left-wing leader, who was elected in 2022. In January this year, Trump called Petro a "sick man," accusing him of enabling the cocaine drug trade to the United States.

Those remarks came after Petro had heavily criticized the US for its kidnapping of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.

But there have been signs that their relationship has been improving. Following a sit-down meeting between the two leaders at the White House in February, Trump described his Colombian counterpart as "terrific."

Colombia is one of the world's top producers of cocaine.

The US and the Colombian government have been partners in curbing illegal drug trafficking in the country and the region for decades.

Edited by: Karl Sexton