In a recent development, President Donald Trump has escalated his campaign against South American drug cartels, launching a verbal attack on Colombian President Gustavo Petro and halting all American aid to the country.
This move comes in the wake of accusations from Petro that the Trump administration was responsible for the death of an innocent fisherman during a drug bust operation, as reported by The New York Times.
According to Western Journal, the tension between the two nations has been on the rise, with the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, announcing the destruction of another drug-laden vessel linked to Colombia. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, labeled Petro as an "illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia."
He further criticized the Colombian leader for his inaction despite receiving substantial financial aid from the United States, which Trump termed as a "long term rip off of America."
Trump's post on Truth Social read, "AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA." He warned that the purpose of this drug production was to flood the United States with narcotics, causing "death, destruction, and havoc." Trump urged Petro to take immediate action, or face the consequences of U.S. intervention.
The New York Times reported that Colombia was set to receive approximately $400 million in American aid. However, this recent development puts that aid in jeopardy. Petro, in response to the U.S. actions, posted on X that "a U.S. missile has killed a humble fisherman from Colombia in Santa Marta." He accused the U.S. of invading Colombian territory and destroying the lives of innocent Colombians.
Secretary Hegseth, on the other hand, defended the U.S. actions, stating that the vessel destroyed on Friday was affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization, the Ejrcito de Liberacin Nacional (ELN), based in Colombia. He stated, "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."
Hegseth further explained that the strike, which resulted in the death of three narco-terrorists, was conducted in international waters, and no U.S. forces were harmed. He compared the drug cartels to Al Qaeda, stating, "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 arethey will be hunted, and killed, just like Al Qaeda."
This recent escalation in the war against drug cartels underlines the Trump administration's commitment to safeguarding American citizens from the scourge of drugs. However, it also raises questions about the potential fallout in U.S.-Colombian relations and the impact on innocent lives caught in the crossfire. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how both nations will navigate these turbulent waters.
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