U.S. Sanctions Colombian President Petro and Three Associates
October 25, 2025 – The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced today that it has added Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his wife Veronica del Socorro Alcocer Garcia, his son Nicolas Petro, and Interior Minister armando benedetti to its list of specially designated citizens, triggering sanctions against them.
According to a statement released by the Treasury Department, the sanctions are a response to escalating cocaine production in Colombia. U.S.Treasury Secretary scott Bessent asserted that cocaine output has reached a decades-high as President Petro took office, alleging that his administration has permitted the expansion of drug cartels and failed to actively counter their operations.
“Today, President trump is taking strong action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate drug trafficking into our country,” Bessent stated.
President Donald Trump directly criticized President Petro, labeling him “a thug and a bad man” and accusing him of being a major producer of drugs. Trump also announced a halt to all payments to Colombia and a restructuring of U.S.-Colombia relations, citing Petro’s alleged mismanagement of the country.
The U.S. government claims that drugs originating in Colombia are being trafficked through Mexico into the United States, prompting the imposition of these “serious sanctions” against Colombia.
