US Cuts Off Aid to Colombia, Accuses President Petro of Drug-Trafficking Role Amid Caribbean Military Surge

Hours after Trump’s post, Petro rejected the accusations and defended Colombia’s counter-narcotics efforts. Petro wrote that “trying to promote peace in Colombia is not being a drug trafficker” and described himself as “the main enemy” of drugs in his country.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez defended Petro, stating “If there’s a country that has used all its capabilities and also lost men and women fighting drug trafficking … it’s Colombia.”

Venezuela Connection and Regional Military Buildup

The Caribbean operations are part of a broader U.S. campaign targeting narco-terrorism emanating from Venezuela. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was indicted in Manhattan federal court in 2020 on charges of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption, with prosecutors alleging he led the “Cartel of the Suns” and “expressly intended to flood the United States with cocaine.”

The Trump administration has doubled the reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, with Attorney General Pam Bondi accusing him of being one of the world’s largest narco-traffickers. The Justice Department has seized more than $700 million in assets linked to Maduro, including two private jets, and nearly 7 tons of seized cocaine have been traced directly to the Venezuelan leader.