The U.S. Treasury slapped sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro and members of his inner circle, accusing them of links to the international drug trade and ordering asset freezes and transaction bans. The move singles out Petro, his wife, his eldest son Nicolás, and a close minister under an executive order aimed at foreign narcotics traffickers. Washington says the actions respond to surging coca cultivation and cocaine exports from Colombia that it blames on Petro’s policies. The designation ties into a broader push to stop drugs flowing into the United States and to hold foreign leaders accountable when their policies facilitate cartels.
Treasury officials laid out a sharp case against Petro’s leadership and the results they say it produced on the ground. “Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote in a news release. “President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity.” That language makes clear the department sees Petro’s approach as a direct driver of cartel power and cross-border trafficking.
Petro pushed back immediately on social media, calling the designation paradoxical and announcing legal representation in the U.S. “Indeed, Bernie Moreno’s threat has come true; my children, my wife, and I have been added to the OFAC list,” Petro wrote in a post. “My lawyer in my defense will be Dany Kovalik from the USA. Fighting drug trafficking for decades and effectively has brought me this measure from the government of the society we helped so much to curb their cocaine consumption. A complete paradox, but not a step back and never on our knees.”
The Treasury framed the sanctions as a response to narcotics trafficking and narcoterrorism that it says continue to fuel violence and corruption across Colombia. “Colombia remains the world’s top producer and exporter of cocaine,” officials wrote in a statement, and they tied much of that production to Mexican cartels that then move product into the United States. Officials singled out Petro’s “total peace” plan and other policies, arguing those measures inadvertently gave narco-terror organizations cover and resources to expand coca cultivation.
Beyond policy critiques, the department pointed to specific allegations involving Petro’s family and close allies, noting criminal charges and prior admissions linked to illicit funding. His eldest son, Nicolás, has faced charges in Colombia for money laundering and illicit enrichment tied to allegations that funds from traffickers were funneled into political efforts. The Treasury also accused Petro of cozying up to other sanctioned regimes and criminal networks, including ties to Nicolás Maduro and the Cartel de Los Soles, which it says further undermines regional security.
The sanctions carry standard OFAC penalties: property and assets in the U.S. or controlled by U.S. persons are frozen, and entities owned 50 percent or more by those designated are also blocked. U.S. citizens are generally banned from transactions tied to designated individuals, and violations can bring civil or criminal penalties, with OFAC able to levy strict liability fines. Those practical restrictions are meant to isolate the targeted people financially and to deter U.S. businesses and banks from facilitating any related activity.
The administration also used the designation to change Colombia’s standing in U.S. policy channels, citing a failure to meet drug-control obligations and moving to withhold certain certifications. Principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott warned that Washington will not tolerate what it calls appeasement of narco-terrorists. “The United States will not turn a blind eye to Petro’s appeasement and emboldening of narco-terrorists,” Pigott wrote in a statement. “We are committed to bringing terrorists and drug traffickers to justice and preventing deadly illegal drugs from entering our country. There must be no impunity for drug traffickers or acts of terrorism or violence by criminal armed groups.”
Pigott underscored ongoing cooperation with Colombian security forces while blaming Petro’s leadership for the rupture. “We remain steadfast in our support for Colombian security forces, its 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 on these institutions but rather the failures and incompetence of Gustavo Petro and his inner circle.” Republican lawmakers and commentators responded forcefully, with Senator Bernie Moreno summing up a hardline view in blunt terms. “FAFO,” an acronym which stands for f— around and find out.
