On the afternoon of Friday, September 12, Gregory W. Meeks, ranking member of the United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to consider not withdrawing Colombia's anti-drug certification. Meeks highlighted points that the president should take into account before making this important decision, which could define the future of the fight against drug trafficking in the South American continent.

He highlighted the positive results Colombia has seen in recent decades, which strengthens the close relationship between the two nations. Gregory W. Meeks has been involved in U.S. politics for more than 30 years. | Photo: Getty Images

The letter began with a brief summary of how the anti-drug certification works, which establishes an annual review of the management of the funding the United States provides to its allied countries in the fight against drug trafficking.

An analysis is also made of the results achieved by the country under study. In this case, Colombia, which has been working alongside the North American giant to combat drug trafficking for more than three decades.

The American politician continued his message to President Trump by explaining why the country led by Gustavo Petro should not lose its certification: “A decertification of Colombia, without broad exemptions that allow for our country’s assistance, would endanger the national security of the United States by strengthening transnational criminal organizations.”

Additionally, the House member noted that many of these organizations have been labeled by the U.S. as"foreign terrorists," so decertifying Colombia could give them more strength and increase crime within the continent, as well as cocaine production.

The member of the Foreign Affairs Committee met with the mayor of Medellín, amid the Colombian politician's visit to the North American country seeking to avoid unofficial decertification, which demonstrates his closeness to Colombia.

Meeks continued his message to the American president by pointing out that the alliance between the United States and Colombia has done a lot of good for both parties, in addition to strengthening security within the region.

The politician highlighted the joint work of the two countries, which has yielded excellent results.

But above all, what happened in recent years, when “between January 2024 and June 2025, for example, 85% of all actionable intelligence used by Naval Air Station Key West's Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF South) originated in Colombia.

The New York politician continued to highlight the work Colombia has done in recent months, such as when 13 Colombian National Police officers lost their lives in the midst of the fight against drug trafficking.

A fact that, in his words, highlights the country's efforts to stop the illegal production and export of cocaine to North America.

Gregory W. Meeks, in the middle of his letter, shared statistics from the previous year, seeking to argue the positive data that the coffee-growing country obtained in the fight against drug trafficking: “In 2024 alone, Colombia seized almost 1,000 tons of cocaine, which represented 65% of global cocaine seizures and the equivalent of 750 million lethal doses and $22.5 billion denied to criminal networks,” he indicated.

Something the politician also highlighted was that the South American country is on track to set a record for extraditing the most drug-related criminals in a single year, considering the 288 drug-related criminals extradited to the U.S.

President Donald Trump has until next Monday, September 15, to renew Colombia's anti-drug certification, so this letter may be one of his last efforts to bring some good news to both countries so they can start the week on a positive note.