Federal prosecutors in the United States are investigating Colombian President Gustavo Petro for alleged ties to drug traffickers, US media report.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has designated Petro a “priority target,” the Associated Press reported. DEA records show Petro has appeared in multiple investigations dating back to 2022, according to AP.
The New York Times reported that Petro is the subject of criminal inquiries by at least two US federal prosecutors’ offices; AP said the prosecutors involved were based in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Investigators are reportedly examining whether Petro met with drug traffickers and whether his campaign solicited donations from them.
Petro has denied the allegations. On X, he wrote, “I have never spoken to a drug trafficker in my life,” and said he always instructed campaign managers not to accept donations from “bankers nor drug traffickers.”
Reuters, citing a person familiar with the matter, said there are not ongoing investigations solely focused on Petro. That source told Reuters that references to Petro surfaced as part of broader investigations into narco-terrorism being conducted by US attorneys’ offices in New York.
Petro has repeatedly rejected claims of involvement in drug trafficking, especially after former US President Donald Trump called him an “illegal drug leader” and the US Treasury Department sanctioned him in 2025 without presenting public evidence of ties to traffickers.
Relations between the US and Colombia have been strained amid heightened US crackdowns on narcotics smuggling in Latin America. Trump, who has been publicly at odds with the left-wing leader elected in 2022, called Petro a “sick man” in January, accusing him of enabling cocaine shipments to the United States. The remark followed Petro’s criticism of US actions against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Despite tensions, there have been signs of warming ties: after a February meeting at the White House, Trump described Petro as “terrific.”
Colombia remains one of the world’s largest producers of cocaine. The United States and Colombia have long cooperated on efforts to curb illegal drug trafficking in the country and the broader region.
Edited by: Karl Sexton