NEW YORK, New York.- This Friday, the American newspaper The New York Timesreported that the United States Justice is investigating president of Colombia, Gustavo Petroby alleged relationships with drug traffickersaccording to the media, which cites three people familiar with the matter.
The newspaper indicates that these investigations are focused, among other issues, on whether Petro held meetings with drug traffickers or whether he requested donations from traffickers during his presidential campaign.
Breaking News: The U.S. Justice Department is said to be pursuing criminal investigations of President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, a onetime President Trump foe. https://t.co/eOWoDCWUBm
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 20, 2026
Las Manhattan and Brooklyn prosecutorsin New York, are in charge of these investigations, in which prosecutors specialized in the international narcotics trafficking and agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations Service (HSI), adds the newspaper.
The New York newspaper also points out that the investigations are in their initial phase and that it is unknown if any of them will lead to criminal charges against the president.
Furthermore, he points out that there is no evidence that the White House has favored the initiation of said investigations.
Tense US-Colombia relationship
The bilateral relationship between the United States and Colombia has been experiencing tensions since January 2025, after beginning the second term of the President Donald Trumpwhich gave way to a period of strong differences with the Colombian Government.
The first major crisis occurred that month, when Petro refused to receive US military flights with Colombian citizens deported when considering that they were transferred in inhumane conditions. In response, Trump threatened to impose tariffs and economic sanctions against Colombia.
Discrepancies continued during the following months, especially over the approach of the anti-drug fightwhich led to the decertification of Colombia by the United States in this matter and the imposition of sanctions against Colombian officials, including the head of state himself.
The US revoked Petro’s visa
In September 2025, The US revoked Petro’s visa after the Colombian participated in a event in New York apart from the UN General Assemblyin which he urged the US military to disobey orders from his government in relation to the war in Gaza.
However, this Tuesday Petro pointed out that the US Government reactivated the visa until the end of his mandate, which will end on August 7.
The tension in the relationship decreased after a call between Petro and Trump at the beginning of January, which gave way to high-level meetings between officials of both Governments and the meeting held by both leaders on February 3.
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