Key takeaways

• Trump has warned Colombian President Gustavo Petro that he could be “next” in the US regional anti-drug campaign.
• The threat comes as Washington escalates military and economic pressure on Venezuela, including a naval blockade and deadly strikes on alleged “narco-terrorist” boats.
• Petro rejects Trump’s accusations, highlighting Colombia’s role in the war on drugs and warning that any US attack on Colombia would violate its sovereignty.
• Legal and human-rights experts say the broader campaign already raises serious questions under international law and could destabilise Latin America if it expands to Colombia.

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US President Donald Trump has warned that Colombian President Gustavo Petro could be “next” in Washington’s regional anti-drug campaign, accusing Colombia of fueling the cocaine trade and hinting at possible action beyond Venezuela.

Speaking at a round table with business leaders at the White House, Trump said Petro had been “fairly hostile” to the United States and claimed Colombia is “producing a lot of drugs”. He added that Petro would “have himself some big problems” if he did not “wise up”, saying several times that the Colombian leader “will be next”.

The comments came as Trump expanded a campaign of military and economic pressure against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, including the seizure of an oil tanker and a new naval “blockade” of sanctioned oil shipments. US forces have carried out at least 22 strikes on alleged “narco-terrorist” boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since early September, killing about 87 people, in operations the administration presents as part of the war on drug trafficking.

Human rights experts at the United Nations and regional groups say many of those killed may have been fishermen or civilians and warn the strikes could amount to extrajudicial killings. Lawmakers from both US parties have raised legal concerns about the campaign and about Trump’s authority to order a naval blockade without explicit congressional approval.

Relations between Trump and Petro have steadily worsened during Trump’s second term. Washington has revoked Petro’s US visa, imposed sanctions on him, and formally “decertified” Colombia as a reliable partner in international counter narcotics efforts, a step not taken against the country since the 1990s. Trump has previously called Petro an “illegal drug dealer” and threatened tariffs and aid cuts over Colombia’s drug policy.

Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of coca, the leaf used to make cocaine, with more than 250,000 hectares under cultivation, according to UN estimates. Petro’s government says it is targeting criminal networks and laboratories instead of relying mainly on crop eradication and claims security forces have destroyed around 18,000 drug-processing sites during his presidency.

In response to Trump’s latest threat, Petro has accused the US president of spreading “disinformation” about Colombia’s anti-drug record and reminded Washington that Colombian forces have helped stop thousands of tons of cocaine reaching US markets. He warned that attacking Colombia would be an assault on its sovereignty, saying such a move would be “declaring war”, and invited Trump to visit the country to see drug labs being destroyed.

Analysts say Trump has not yet announced specific military or economic measures against Colombia but that the rhetoric increases uncertainty for one of Washington’s key partners in Latin America. Any extension of the current campaign from Venezuelan waters into Colombian territory or ports would risk a major diplomatic rupture and could further destabilize an already tense region.