Colombian President Gustavo Petro is facing early-stage criminal investigations by at least two U.S. federal prosecutors’ offices, focusing on possible links to drug traffickers and whether his 2022 presidential campaign accepted illicit donations. The inquiries, being conducted in Manhattan and Brooklyn, involve agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. It remains unclear whether the probes will result in criminal charges.
The investigations come amid a complex backdrop of U.S.-Colombian relations and President Trump’s history of leveraging legal cases in international politics. Trump has previously criticized Petro, calling him a “sick man,” and could potentially use the investigations to exert pressure on Colombia, a key partner in counter-narcotics operations, or to influence the upcoming presidential election in May. Petro’s office denies any involvement in drug trafficking and has emphasized the government’s efforts to curb coca cultivation and target armed trafficking groups. Earlier tensions between the two leaders included blocked U.S. flights, visa revocations, and U.S. sanctions against Petro and his family, though relations have shown signs of improvement with recent diplomatic engagement.
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