The United States included this Friday President Gustavo Petro, his son Nicolás, Minister Armando Benedetti and the first lady, Verónica Alcocer, in the so-called 'Clinton List' , making him the first Colombian head of state to appear on that sanctions list.
The president is listed on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List published by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for drug-related offenses. Benedetti, Alcocer, and Petro Burgos also appear on the program.
The decision comes after several weeks of tense exchanges between President Petro and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, who accused him last Sunday of being the alleged"leader of drug trafficking" in Colombia. That same day, the Republican announced that Colombia would be punished with tariffs.
It also comes amid the Trump administration's crackdown on drug trafficking in the Caribbean—and, since this week, in the Pacific—which has left ten alleged"narco-boats" bombed and at least 43 dead.
This Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group will join Southern Command operations in the Caribbean Sea, adding to Washington's largest military deployment in the region since the invasion of Panama in the late 1980s.
In a statement, the Treasury Department justified the inclusion of the Colombian president by pointing out that"President Gustavo Petro has played a role in the global illicit drug trade."
According to the statement, during his administration,"cocaine production in Colombia has skyrocketed to record levels" and "benefits have been granted to narco-terrorist organizations."
The document concludes with an emphatic message: “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will not tolerate Colombia trafficking drugs into our country or poisoning Americans.”
“Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has skyrocketed to record levels, flooding the United States and poisoning its citizens. President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and has refused to halt this activity. Today, President Trump is taking bold action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate drug trafficking,” said U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
This week, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno stated that he would push a package of measures against the government of Gustavo Petro and his inner circle through Congress. However, the Trump administration got ahead of him. "The Trump Doctrine," the congressman wrote after the announcement on X.
Following the announcement, President Petro also took to social media to blame Moreno for the decision."Bernie Moreno's threat has indeed been fulfilled. My wife, my children, and I have entered the OFAC list. My defense attorney will be Dany Kovalik from the United States," the president wrote.
What is the Clinton List?
Created in 1995 during the Bill Clinton administration (1993-2001), the list is managed by OFAC, an entity attached to the United States Department of the Treasury.
This agency has the power to freeze assets, block financial transactions, and prohibit U.S. citizens or companies from maintaining business ties with sanctioned individuals or entities.
Although Congress cannot add names directly, it can pass laws directing the Treasury to evaluate and list certain individuals, or requiring the Executive Branch to do so when certain criteria are met. In practice, such regulations act as a policy instruction that OFAC routinely implements.
However, the U.S. government does not require legislative authorization to proceed: Both OFAC and the Treasury Department have the authority to designate individuals or entities independently, without prior intervention by Congress.
