The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating Colombian President Gustavo Petro for his alleged ties to drug traffickers. According to The Associated Press, the DEA and federal prosecutors in New York have identified Petro as a “priority target.”
The “priority target” designation is reserved for suspects the DEA believes have a “significant impact” on drug trafficking.
Accusations against Gustav Peter
According to The Associated Press, the DEA conducted several investigations into Peter regarding his possible dealings with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel and a plan to use his “total peace” scheme to benefit prominent traffickers who contributed to his presidential campaign.
DEA records also indicate the use of law enforcement to smuggle cocaine and fentanyl through Colombian ports.
The DEA records, which also include interviews with confidential informants, point to Peter’s possible involvement in a number of criminal groups that have dominated the South American drug trade for years.
In addition to the Sinaloa cartel, Petro is also said to be linked to the Cartel de los soles, or Cartel of the Suns, a term used to describe a loose network of corrupt, high-ranking military officers in neighboring Venezuela.
But the report added that it was unclear whether federal prosecutors had implicated Petra in any crime.
What Gustavo Petro said
The 65-year-old Petro, a former rebel leader who will become Colombia’s president in 2022, has always denied any links to the drug trade.
On Friday, Petro repeated his claims, saying the allegations against him were baseless.
“I have never spoken to a drug trafficker in my life,” Petro said in a post on X. “On the contrary, I have dedicated 10 years of my life – at the risk of my own life and the exile of my family – to exposing the connections between the most powerful drug traffickers and politicians in Congress and national governments.”
Gustavo Petro vs Donald Trump
The leftist leader has a history of clashing with the US, including President Trump calling him an “illegal drug lord”. Last year, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned him for alleged ties to the business without offering evidence.
Petro has also been an outspoken critic of US military attacks on alleged drug boats and the Trump administration over its support for Israel’s attack on Gaza.
Petro also criticized the Trump administration’s arrest of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which he called an illegal “kidnapping” and an attack on Latin American sovereignty. He has repeatedly demanded that Maduro be brought before a Venezuelan court.
