Trump Calls Colombian President ‘Illegal Drug Dealer,’ Cuts Off All Payments to the Country

Conservative News DailyOctober 20, 2025

Former President Donald Trump has escalated his campaign against South American drug cartels by labeling Colombian President Gustavo Petro an “illegal drug leader” and suspending all U.S. aid to Colombia, which was previously expected to receive around $400 million. This move follows accusations from Petro that the U.S.military killed an innocent Colombian fisherman during a strike on a drug-carrying vessel. In response, the U.S. Department of War, under Trump’s orders, destroyed another such vessel linked to the Colombian guerrilla group ELN, designated as a terrorist organization. Trump condemned Petro for allowing widespread drug production in Colombia, which fuels drug trafficking into the United States, causing significant harm. He warned that if Petro does not act to shut down these “killing fields,” the U.S. will intervene militarily.Secretary of War Pete Hegseth characterized the drug cartels as terrorist entities akin to Al Qaeda, emphasizing the U.S. military’s commitment to actively combatting them. This situation has heightened tensions between the U.S. and Colombia amid ongoing efforts to address narcotics smuggling in the region.

President Donald Trump opened a second front in his war against South American drug lords, calling the president of Colombia an “illegal drug leader” and cutting off all aid to the South American nation.

Trump’s action came after Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the Trump administration of murdering an innocent fisherman when it sank a vessel carrying drugs, according to The New York Times.

Amid the rise in tensions, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that another drug-carrying vessel — this one with connections to Colombia — had been destroyed.

In a Sunday post on , Trump said, the Colombian leader “is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia.”

¡El Presidente Trump ha dicho la pura verdad!

Gustavo Petro ha destruido a Colombia con sus patéticos pactos con los narcoterroristas y las dictaduras en #Cuba, #Venezuela y #Nicaragua.

¡Como el representante de la mayor población de colomboamericanos en USA, respaldamos el fin… pic.twitter.com/7sw0eI1WXf

— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) October 19, 2025

“It has become the biggest business in Colombia, by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it, despite large scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long term rip off of America. AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA,” Trump continued.

“The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc. Petro, a low rated and very unpopular leader, with a fresh mouth toward America, better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The report in The New York Times said Colombia was slated to received about $400 million in American aid.

“…AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA. The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc…” – President Trump pic.twitter.com/YFXuV49f8z

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 19, 2025

Earlier Petro posted on X that “a U.S. missile has killed a humble fisherman from Colombia in Santa Marta.”

“The USA has invaded national territory with a missile fired to kill a humble fisherman, has destroyed his family, his children. This is the homeland of Bolívar and they are murdering his children with bombs. The USA offended the national territory of Colombia and killed an honest, hardworking Colombian. !Let the sword of Bolívar be raised.!”

🚨 BREAKING: President Trump just utterly NUKED Colombia President Petro and CANCELED subsidies to his country

FAFO!

“President Gustavo Petro, of Columbia, is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over… pic.twitter.com/cxF4Ms7dJO

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 19, 2025

Hegseth noted on Sunday that after destroying multiple vessels linked with Venezuela, the U.S. destroyed one linked to Colombia on Friday.

“On October 17th, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a Designated Terrorist Organization, that was operating in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” Hegseth posted on X. The ELN is based in Colombia, according to The New York Times.

On October 17th, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), a Designated Terrorist Organization, that was operating in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility.

The… pic.twitter.com/1v7oR879LC

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 19, 2025

“The vessel was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was traveling along a known narco-trafficking route, and was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics. There were three male narco-terrorists aboard the vessel during the strike—which was conducted in international waters. All three terrorists were killed and no U.S. forces were harmed in this strike,” Hegseth explained.

“These cartels are the Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere, using violence, murder and terrorism to impose their will, threaten our national security and poison our people. The United States military will treat these organizations like the terrorists they are—they will be hunted, and killed, just like Al Qaeda.”