US sanctions Colombia's self-destructive president, accuses him of allowing expansion of drug trade

The US on Friday imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, as President Donald Trump sharply escalated a feud with Washington's longtime Latin American ally over Petro's refusal to stop the flow of cocaine into the United States.

Tensions between Washington and many countries in the region have been mounting for weeks. The US military has ratcheted up activity in the southern Caribbean, striking drug vessels in international waters. Trump this week called Petro an "illegal drug leader" after the leftist president accused the US of committing "murder" with the strikes.

Petro, whose term will end in 10 months, has always opposed the strikes. He has attempted to end Colombia's six-decade conflict through peace and surrender deals with rebels and crime gangs, but those efforts have borne little fruit.

"Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.