On October 24, 2025, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his wife Veronica del Corro Aler Garcia, his son Fernando Petro, and Colombia’s Interior Minister Armando Alberto Benedetti. The sanctions freeze their access to US assets and bar any transactions with US entities, accusing Petro’s administration of permitting cocaine production to surge to “levels not seen in decades,” flooding the United States market and endangering American citizens.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent condemned Petro for allowing drug cartels to flourish and for failing to stop these illicit activities. The US State Department denounced Petro’s “appeasement and emboldening of narco-terrorists,” reiterating Washington’s resolve to bring drug traffickers to justice.
Petro, a leftist leader with an increasingly strained relationship with US President Donald Trump, swiftly rejected the sanctions via social media, announcing he has retained an American attorney to challenge the move. He described the US action as ironic, given Colombia’s historical cooperation with the US in combating cocaine use, and vowed not to retreat.
Relations between Petro and Trump have deteriorated in recent months, escalating after US military strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific killed over 40 people. Trump responded by cutting all US aid to Colombia, threatening tariffs and even military intervention if Petro does not take tougher measures against cocaine production.
Colombian Interior Minister Benedetti dismissed the sanctions, asserting he has never associated with drug traffickers and criticized the US for conflating peaceful dissent with criminality, ending with a call for the US to “go home.”
The sanctions signal a deepening diplomatic rift between two key American hemispheric partners, highlighting diverging approaches to narcotics, security, and foreign policy in the region. Petro's administration faces significant challenges ahead as it navigates increased US pressure and domestic demands for reform.