‎The United States government has imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of failing to control the rising flow of cocaine into America.

‎The move, announced on Friday, marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing diplomatic row between President Donald Trump and Colombia’s left-leaning leader — a longtime ally of Washington now under growing scrutiny.

‎According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Petro’s administration has “allowed drug cartels to flourish,” leading to what it called the highest cocaine production levels in decades. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions were part of Trump’s effort to protect American citizens from the worsening drug crisis.

‎“President Petro has failed to act. Cocaine production in Colombia is at its peak, poisoning Americans and flooding our streets,” Bessent said.

‎Petro Denies Allegations, Calls Sanctions a ‘Lie’

‎President Gustavo Petro, whose term ends in ten months, has strongly denied the allegations.

‎In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Petro dismissed Washington’s claims as false, insisting that his government has seized more cocaine than any administration in Colombia’s history.

‎“What the U.S. Treasury says is a lie. My government did the opposite, we have seized record amounts of cocaine,” Petro said.

‎The Colombian leader, who gained prominence as a senator for exposing political links to paramilitary drug groups, described the sanctions as “a complete paradox.” He added that he had no assets in the U.S. and had already hired a lawyer to challenge the decision.

‎Speaking to thousands of supporters in Bogotá on Friday night, Petro said the sanctions were politically motivated and unfair to a country that has sacrificed lives in the global fight against narcotics.

‎The U.S. government also extended the sanctions to Petro’s wife, his son Nicolás Petro, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, accusing them of being connected to illicit drug networks.

‎Benedetti, reacting on X, said he was targeted simply for defending the president, calling the U.S. action “a sham.” Nicolás Petro, who is already facing a corruption case in Colombia, also denied any link to drug trafficking, saying he was sanctioned only “for being my father’s son.”

‎Under the sanctions, any U.S. based assets belonging to the individuals are frozen, and American citizens are prohibited from conducting business with them.

‎Relations between the two nations have worsened since Trump returned to office in January.

‎Petro has repeatedly condemned U.S. military strikes in the southern Caribbean, which Washington claims target drug-carrying vessels. He described the attacks as acts of “murder,” sparking verbal exchanges between both leaders.

‎Tensions deepened last month when the U.S. revoked Petro’s visa after he participated in a pro-Palestinian protest in New York and urged U.S. soldiers to defy Trump’s orders.

‎Trump also halted funding to Colombia, threatened to raise tariffs, and warned that if Petro did not act to “shut down killing fields,” the U.S. would “close them up for him and not nicely.”

‎Foreign policy analyst Brett Bruen, who served under former U.S. President Barack Obama, warned that Trump’s approach could worsen the situation.

‎“These cowboy theatrics may look tough online, but they’re creating dangerous instability in a region that directly affects the U.S.,” Bruen said.

‎As the feud intensifies, observers fear the latest sanctions could severely damage Colombia’s long-standing partnership with the United States one that has defined regional security for decade