US President Donald Trump issued a pointed warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, saying he “will be next” to face US action after accusing him of being hostile toward Washington and linking his government to drug production. When asked whether he planned to open dialogue with Petro, Trump dismissed the idea and repeated claims that Colombia is expanding drug cultivation and “selling it directly” into the United States. Petro was added to the US Treasury’s OFAC list in October, a move that deepened tensions just as Trump praised operations in the Caribbean, including the hijacking of an oil tanker meant as punishment for Venezuela and Iran.

Relations between the two countries have fallen sharply since Trump returned to office, ending what had once been one of Washington’s closest partnerships in Latin America. For decades, Colombia was a top recipient of US aid, especially in counter-narcotics initiatives. Trump’s approach now leans heavily on eradication and punitive measures, a strategy critics say harms poor rural communities. Petro has taken a different line, focusing on dismantling the criminal networks that turn coca into narcotics and reporting the destruction of more than 18,400 drug labs since taking office. He has pushed back hard against Trump’s threats, saying any strike on Colombian territory would be an act of war and urging Trump to see Colombia’s anti-narcotics efforts firsthand.

Despite this, Trump has continued to float the possibility of military action, framing drug production as grounds for attack. Petro, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the strongest voices condemning US maritime bombings in the Caribbean and Pacific, where at least 22 vessels have been targeted and an estimated 87 people kil-led. Trump has also been accused of applying double standards, as his aggressive posture toward Petro stands in contrast to his decision to pardon former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted in the US for facilitating hundreds of tonnes of cocaine shipments.