US EditionDEA Names Colombian Leader 'Priority Target'
DEA records and informants link Petro to multiple drug investigations since 2022; U.S. prosecutors question traffickers but no charges have been filed, officials said.
- On March 20, 2026, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration designated Colombia's President Gustavo Petro a priority target, with records linking him to investigations since 2022, the report shows.
- DEA records show Petro surfaced in investigations dating to 2022 based on confidential informants, alleging possible dealings with Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and law enforcement use in Colombia's ports.
- Petro responded Friday on X, saying there is not a single Colombian investigation linking him and that he never spoke with drug traffickers, despite the 2025 sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department.
- U.S. federal prosecutors have been questioning traffickers about alleged ties to Petro, but inquiries are in early stages and it is unclear if Petro has been implicated, officials say.
- Previously, the U.S. revoked Petro's visa and the Colombian embassy in Washington called reports ‘unverified,’ amid tensions with Washington despite recent signs of thawing, according to statements.
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29 Articles
An investigation published by the Associated Press agency points out that the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, would have been classified as a “priority” by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the context of investigations by federal prosecutors in the United States about alleged links with drug traffickers.
DEA names Colombian president ‘priority target’ as US prosecutors probe ties to drug traffickers
NEW YORK (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been designated a “priority target” by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as federal prosecutors in New York probe his alleged ties to drug traffickers, according to people familiar with the matter and records seen by The Associated Press. DEA records show Petro has surfaced in multiple investigations dating to 2022, many based on interviews with confidential informants. Petro has denie…
Tulsa World
DEA names Colombian leader 'priority target'
NEW YORK — Colombian President Gustavo Petro was designated a "priority target" by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as federal prosecutors in New York probe his alleged ties to drug traffickers, according to people familiar with the matter and records…
US probes Colombian president's alleged drug trafficking ties, designates Gustavo Petro as 'priority target'
Colombian President Gustavo Petro is under DEA investigation for alleged ties to drug traffickers, including the Sinaloa cartel. The DEA has labeled him a priority target, though Petro denies any wrongdoing.
DEA names Colombian leader ‘priority target’ over suspected drug ties | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
NEW YORK -- Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been designated a "priority target" by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as federal prosecutors in New York probe his suspected ties to drug traffickers, according to people familiar with the matter and records seen by The Associated Press.
Colombian president is designated a ‘priority target’ of US Drug Enforcement Administration
Colombian president Gustavo Petro has been designated a “priority target” by the US Drug Enforcement Administration as federal prosecutors in New York probe his alleged ties to drug traffickers, according to people familiar with the matter and records seen by reporters.
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