Months after the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, the United States government has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
According to a report by The New York Times on Friday, Petro, who has had a strained relationship with U.S President Donald J. Trump, is under investigation by at least two U.S. federal prosecutors’ offices.
Citing sources familiar with the development, the report stated that the probes are being handled by U.S attorneys in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The investigations involve prosecutors who specialise in international narcotics trafficking, alongside agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations.
The inquiries are said to be examining, among other issues, alleged meetings between Petro and suspected drug traffickers, as well as whether his presidential campaign may have received funding from such individuals.
The development follows heightened tensions in the region. In January, U.S forces reportedly carried out an operation in Venezuela that led to the arrest of Maduro, who was subsequently taken to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.
Following Maduro’s capture, Trump suggested that a similar operation could be considered against Colombia, stating that repeating “such an operation sounds good to” him.
In response, Petro, a former rebel leader, vowed to defend his country against any external aggression, declaring his readiness to take up arms in protection of Colombia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The reported investigation comes amid already strained relations between Washington and Bogotá, with Petro previously denying any links to drug trafficking and describing such allegations as politically motivated.
