On March 20, a report by The New York Times was published stating that the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, is under criminal investigation by the federal prosecutors of Manhattan and Brooklyn in the United States.
The investigations, in an initial phase, analyze possible links between Petro and drug traffickers and whether his presidential campaign received donations from these groups. The aforementioned media indicated that agents specializing in international drug trafficking and entities such as the Drug Enforcement Administration are participating in the investigation.
The report does not mention whether the investigation will lead to formal charges or if the White House influenced its opening; however, it recalls that President Donald Trump has criticized Petro and could use the investigation as a tool of diplomatic pressure, given Colombia’s role in the fight against drugs.
Through his X account, Gustavo Petro denied any relationship with drug trafficking and has defended his management against this crime. “Regarding my campaigns, I have always told managers that donations from either bankers or drug traffickers are not accepted”, wrote the president.
Hours after the cited report was published, Reuters published a news story titled “According to a source, Colombia’s Petro is being investigated in a criminal case in the United States“.
This agency also recalled the disputes that Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro have starred in the past, mentioning this factor as something that could have marked the beginning of the investigation.
Although they cite that the initial report is from The New York Times,Reuters added other aspects, such as that the president would not be the main target of the investigations, but rather a name mentioned in themAP reported that the President of Colombia has been designated as a “priority target” for the DEA – credit Reuters
For its part, The Associated Press indicated that President Gustavo Petro has been designated as a “priority target” for the DEA, while prosecutors in New York investigate his alleged links to drug traffickers.
“DEA records show that Petro has appeared in multiple investigations dating back to 2022, many based on interviews with confidential informants. Alleged crimes the DEA has investigated include his possible dealings with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel and a plan to leverage his ‘total peace’ policy to benefit drug traffickers.” The Colombian president’s name appears in reports and investigations in the United States – credit Reuters
In both cases, the cited agencies mention that the president’s name is not the main one in the investigative processes, but rather he is linked in some way to the objectives.
“Petro is not the main target of either investigation, but his conduct has come to light in investigations into narcoterrorism and drug trafficking that are being carried out by the US Attorney’s Offices of Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York”.
Reuters highlighted that its sources assure that the White House has not been involved in the mentioned investigations, and that the name of the Colombian president had been mentioned by third parties. In addition, they emphasize that the spokespersons of the Prosecutor’s Office chose not to comment until the conclusions are available.
“The report indicates that investigators are examining, among other things, Petro’s possible meetings with drug traffickers and whether his presidential campaign solicited donations from traffickers.”
In addition to the aforementioned publication by Gustavo Petro, the Colombian Embassy in the United States issued a statement indicating that the reports are based on anonymous sources and that there is no official confirmation or legal basis to claim that the president has any kind of relationship with criminals.
