U.S. Imposes Sweeping Sanctions on Petro, Family

The Trump administration has imposed sweeping sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, freezing U.S. assets and barring transactions amid allegations Petro allowed drug cartels to flourish—allegations Petro denies. The administration has also threatened or cut aid to Colombia while the State Department said it would continue partnering with Colombian security and justice officials. Washington has carried out lethal anti‑narcotics strikes, deployed naval assets to South American waters and threatened tariff actions as part of a broader hardline regional strategy. That strategy includes public support for right‑wing leaders such as Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele and has heightened diplomatic strains across the region. Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro warned against a “crazy war” as anti‑narcotics operations and military maneuvers have raised regional tensions.