“President Petro has allowed drug cartels to thrive, failing to put a stop to their operations. Today, President Trump is implementing decisive measures to defend our nation, underscoring our zero-tolerance policy towards drug trafficking into the United States,” stated a government representative.

In response, the Colombian leader expressed his dismay on X, saying, “After decades of battling drug trafficking successfully, I now face these measures from the government of the very nation for whom we significantly reduced cocaine consumption.”

The sanctions imposed effectively freeze any U.S.-based assets of the individuals targeted and largely prohibit Americans from engaging in transactions with them.

“President Trump has made it clear that unless President Petro shuts down these dangerous arenas immediately, the United States will intervene, and it won’t be done gently,” announced Anna Kelly, a spokesperson from the White House.

In recent developments, the U.S. rescinded Petro’s visa following his participation in a pro-Palestinian rally in New York, where he encouraged U.S. military personnel to defy Trump’s directives.

Sanctions the latest in a string of clashes

Last month, the US revoked Petro’s visa after he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York and urged US soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders.