In a dramatic escalation of tensions between the United States and Colombia, President Donald Trump has publicly accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being an “illegal drug leader” and announced that the US will cut funding to the South American nation. The remarks, made on Trump’s Truth Social account, follow a series of deadly US military strikes in the Caribbean, which Petro has called acts of assassination.

Trump’s post accused President Petro of actively promoting “massive production of drugs” across Colombia, spelling the country as “Columbia” multiple times. He described Petro as a “low rated and very unpopular” leader, issuing a stark warning: if Colombia does not shut down drug operations voluntarily, the US “will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”

“The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc,” Trump wrote, arguing that US payments and subsidies to Colombia were essentially a “rip-off.” He emphasized, in capital letters, that “AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE,” though it remains unclear which specific payments he was referencing.

The tensions come amid a series of US military strikes targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean. On Friday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced via X (formerly Twitter) that the Pentagon had destroyed a vessel associated with a Colombian group in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility, which includes the Caribbean. Hegseth claimed three people were killed and alleged that the ship was linked to the leftist rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), and involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, without providing concrete evidence.

This strike was the sixth US attack on semi-submersible vessels since early September, with at least 29 people killed in total. The US repatriated two survivors from Colombia and Ecuador following the latest strike.

President Petro reacted strongly to the strikes, accusing the US of committing murder and violating Colombian sovereignty in territorial waters. He identified one of the victims, Alejandro Carranza, as a fisherman from Santa Marta with no links to drug trafficking. According to Petro, Carranza’s boat was malfunctioning and adrift with a distress signal active when it was targeted.

“The Colombian boat was adrift and had a distress signal on, with one engine up. We await explanations from the US government,” Petro wrote on X, demanding immediate answers and international legal action.

Petro also highlighted previous provocations, including the revocation of his US visa after attending a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York, where he urged US soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders. “I ask all the soldiers of the United States’ army, don’t point your rifles against humanity,” he stated.

The tensions come as Colombia continues to struggle with rising coca cultivation, the raw material for cocaine, which reached record highs last year according to the United Nations. Colombia remains the world’s largest exporter of cocaine, and despite Petro’s pledge to curb coca-growing regions through extensive social and military interventions, progress has been limited.

Legal experts and human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned the US strikes, describing them as “murder on the high seas” and raising concerns over sovereignty violations.

Relations between Bogota and Washington have deteriorated since Trump’s return to the White House. Last month, the US criticized Colombia for failing to cooperate in the drug war, though a waiver of sanctions temporarily prevented cuts in aid. The new announcement of US aid reductions marks a sharp escalation in this ongoing diplomatic dispute.

The combination of Trump’s public accusations, unilateral military strikes, and aid suspension signals a turning point in US-Colombia relations, highlighting broader geopolitical tensions in the Americas and raising urgent questions about sovereignty, international law, and the future of the anti-drug efforts in Colombia.

Experts warn that cutting US aid could have severe implications for Colombia’s economy and security, potentially worsening the drug trade and destabilizing affected regions. Meanwhile, Petro’s strong public denunciations of US actions are likely to further strain diplomatic ties, with both countries facing mounting pressure from domestic and international observers to find a resolution.

As the situation develops, all eyes remain on the Caribbean, where continued US operations could spark further casualties and escalate tensions between two key partners in the fight against narcotics. Observers say a balance between sovereignty, anti-drug initiatives, and human rights protections will be critical to prevent a deeper conflict.

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