US sanctions Colombian President Petro and family over drug trade

The Trump administration’s Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on the Colombian president Gustavo Francisco PetroHe, along with his wife, son and a close associate, accused the group of involvement in the global illegal drug trade.

The action was taken under a Biden administration executive order targeting foreigners involved in drug trafficking.

Petro joins a number of other world leaders subject to Treasury Department sanctions, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The US Treasury imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro Urrego. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

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“since President Gustavo Petro “When he came to power, Colombia’s cocaine production rose to its highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans.” Scott Besant he wrote in a press release. “President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and has refused to stop this activity.”

Petro responded to the ad on X, calling the punishment a “complete irony.”

“Indeed, Bernie Moreno’s threat has become a reality; I, my children, and my wife have been added to the OFAC list,” Petro wrote in a post. “My defense attorney will be Danny Kovalik from the USA. The fight against drug trafficking has brought me for decades and effectively this measure of community government that has helped us a lot in reducing their cocaine consumption. It is a complete paradox, but it is not a step backwards and we have never bowed down.”

The Treasury Department accused Pietro, his wife Veronica, his eldest son Nicolas, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti of involvement in drug trafficking and narco-terrorism, which it said continue to fuel violence, corruption and instability in Colombia, while “also posing major challenges to regional and international security.”

“Colombia remains the world’s largest producer and exporter of cocaine,” officials wrote in a statement. “Cocaine is often purchased from Colombia by Mexican cartels, who then smuggle it into the United States across the southern border. It is a classified substance that poses a major narcotic threat to the United States, despite Gustavo Petro’s recent impudent comparison between the use of the drug and whiskey.”

Pietro, a former guerrilla member, was elected president of Colombia in 2022.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he had appointed an American lawyer. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)

The department accused him of submitting Terrorist organizations and drugs With benefits under the auspices of his “comprehensive peace” plan, among other policies, which officials said led to record highs in coca cultivation and cocaine production.

The Treasury Department also alleged that Petro had allied himself with Maduro, who is also under US sanctions, and with the Cartel de los Soles.

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“Gustavo Petro’s strange behavior also further alienated Colombia from its partners in additional ways,” the officials wrote. “In 2024, he shared confidential information obtained via secure anti-money laundering communication channels, threatening the integrity of the international financial system and leading to the suspension of the Colombian financial intelligence unit from the Egmont Group.”

Petro’s son and political heir Nicolas was indicted in 2023 on the charge Money laundering and illicit enrichment Due to allegations that he diverted money he received from drug traffickers to his father’s “comprehensive peace” efforts and election campaign.

Sanctions were imposed on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, along with his family and one of his aides. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

He later admitted receiving dirty money from a person previously involved in drug trafficking and the son of a contractor on trial for financing paramilitary groups, according to officials.

president Donald Trump Colombia determined to be a major drug transit country or major illicit drug producing country on September 15, finding that it was “manifestly failing” to meet its anti-drug responsibilities.

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Property and assets owned by those subject to sanctions, located in the United States or controlled by persons in the United States, are also Frozen and must be reported To the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Entities owned 50% or more by those subject to sanctions are also frozen, and US citizens are generally prohibited from conducting related transactions.

Violations can result in civil or criminal penalties, with OFAC able to impose civil penalties on a strict liability basis.

added Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Piggott, Secretary of State Marco Rubio Colombia will not certify under the standards of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2024, as carried forward under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2025.

“The United States will not turn a blind eye to Petro’s appeasement and encouragement of narco-terrorists,” Piggott wrote in a statement. “We are committed to bringing terrorists and drug traffickers to justice and preventing deadly illicit drugs from entering our country. There must be no impunity for drug traffickers or acts of terrorism or violence committed by criminal armed groups.”

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“We remain steadfast in our support Colombian security forcesHe added: “And the justice sector and departmental and municipal officials, and we will continue to partner with them in our joint efforts to combat drug trafficking.” He added: “Today’s decision is not a reflection of these institutions, but rather the failure and incompetence of Gustavo Pietro and his inner circle.”

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, responded to the ad on X, saying “FAFO,” an acronym that stands for f—around and find out.