247 - The United States Treasury Department announced this Friday (24) sanctions against the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, his wife Verónica Alcocer, his son Nicolás Petro and the Colombian Minister of the Interior Armando Benedetti. The measure, released by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), occurs under the justification of Petro's alleged collusion with drug trafficking - an accusation that the Colombian president himself classified as"a great paradoxical injustice".
The decision was made based on Executive Order 14059, which authorizes the freezing of assets and restrictions on financial transactions of individuals involved in the international illicit drug trade. The Trump administration claims that, since Petro's inauguration, Colombia"has recorded the highest rate of cocaine production in decades," according to a statement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
"Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to record levels, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans," Bessent said."President Petro allowed drug cartels to thrive and refused to stop this activity. Today, President Trump is taking firm action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate drug trafficking on our soil."
Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to record high rates, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans. President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity. Today, President Trump is… https://t.co/8ONvbFFPFr
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) October 24, 2025
The official Treasury report also accuses Petro of granting"benefits to narco-terrorist organizations" under the guise of his "total peace" plan and cites alleged breaches of international anti-money laundering protocols. Furthermore, the document claims that the Colombian president had"allied himself with the narco-terrorist regime of Nicolás Maduro and the Los Soles Cartel."
Family and allies are also targets of sanctions
Among those sanctioned are Petro's eldest son, Nicolás Petro Burgos, accused of receiving illegal funds during the 2022 election campaign, and First Lady Verónica Alcocer, whose appointment as"special ambassador" violated the Colombian Constitution, according to the US Treasury.
Minister Armando Benedetti, appointed by Petro to the Interior Ministry in February 2025, was also included on the list. The statement mentions audio leaks from 2023, in which Benedetti discusses campaign financing and vote-trading.
Under the sanctions, all assets of those named in the United States are frozen, and American citizens or companies are prohibited from conducting any financial transactions with them. The penalties extend to entities directly or indirectly controlled by the designated individuals.
Petro's reaction: “Not a step back”
In response, Gustavo Petro spoke out on his X account (formerly Twitter), stating that he and his family were included on the OFAC list for political reasons.
"Bernie Moreno's threat has indeed come to fruition: my children, my wife, and I have been added to the OFAC list. My lawyer will be Danny Kovalik, from the United States," he wrote. "Fighting drug trafficking effectively for decades brings me this measure from the government of a society we have helped so much to curb cocaine consumption. A complete paradox, but not a step back and never on our knees."
Effectively, Bernie Moreno's threat was fulfilled, my husband and wife entered the OFAC list.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) October 24, 2025
My lawyer in my defense will be Dany Kovalik from the United States.
Fighting against drug trafficking for decades and effectively betrays me this measure of the government of the society that…
Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, a Colombian national and one of Trump's main allies in Congress, had pushed for Petro's inclusion on the sanctions list. Moreno, elected in 2024 and now a senator from Ohio, is considered one of the most influential voices in the new ultraconservative bloc in the U.S. Senate.
