Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered his country’s security forces to suspend intelligence sharing with the United States, escalating a diplomatic crisis over a series of U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific.
In a statement posted Tuesday on X, Petro instructed Colombia’s armed forces to “end communications and other agreements with U.S. security agencies” until Washington halts what he called “extrajudicial attacks” on small boats allegedly involved in narcotics trafficking.
“The fight against drugs must be subordinated to the human rights of the Caribbean people,” Petro wrote, accusing the Trump administration of waging a campaign of lethal strikes that has claimed the lives of civilians.
At least 75 people have been killed in the operations since August, according to U.S. government figures. The White House has not yet responded to Petro’s announcement.
The air and naval strikes, carried out in international waters near Venezuela and more recently off Mexico’s Pacific coast, have drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups.
Petro has gone further, calling for an international investigation into President Donald Trump for potential war crimes tied to the campaign.
“He may have been carrying fish, or he may have been carrying cocaine — but he had not been sentenced to death,” Petro said Sunday, referencing a Colombian fisherman allegedly killed in one of the raids. “There was no need to murder him.”
The Trump administration has accused Petro of undermining U.S. anti-drug efforts and protecting figures tied to Colombia’s cocaine trade.
In October, Washington imposed financial sanctions on Petro and members of his family, alleging involvement in narcotics activity — charges the Colombian leader has denied as politically motivated.
“President Trump is taking strong action to protect our nation,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the time, accusing Petro of having “allowed cartels to flourish.”
The rupture comes as the United States expands its military footprint in the southern Caribbean, deploying eight warships, a submarine, fighter jets and marines to the region. The USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier is expected to arrive later this month.
Venezuela has condemned the buildup as a threat to its sovereignty, warning that Washington’s naval presence could be a prelude to strikes against President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
On Tuesday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced large-scale readiness drills, flanked by surface-to-air missile batteries near Caracas.
The breakdown in intelligence cooperation marks one of the sharpest reversals in U.S.–Colombian relations in decades, ending years of close security coordination that once formed the backbone of Washington’s anti-drug strategy in Latin America.
