Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has branded recent US airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea as an “act of tyranny,” accusing Washington of violating human rights and international law.
In an interview with the BBC, Petro argued that the strikes—launched under US President Donald Trump’s renewed anti-narcotics campaign—amount to extrajudicial killings. Reports suggest at least 17 people have been killed since the operations began this month.
“Why launch a missile if you could simply stop the boat and arrest the crew? That’s what one would call murder,” Petro said. He added that force should always be proportional: “If you use anything more than a pistol, the principle of proportionality is violated.”
US Justification vs. Human Rights Concerns
President Trump has defended the campaign as essential to halting the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs into the United States. The White House said Trump was “prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”
But critics argue the tactics are excessive and unlawful. United Nations experts have described the strikes as extrajudicial executions, while Democratic lawmakers in Washington have demanded answers on their legality.
Legal experts say the lack of transparency—particularly regarding the identities of those killed—raises serious questions. The Trump administration claimed the first targeted boat carried members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, but those claims remain disputed.
Colombia Pushes Back
Petro stressed that Colombia has a long record of cooperation with US agencies in seizing drug shipments at sea, often without violence. “No one has ever died before. There is no need to kill anyone,” he said.
The Colombian leader, who has frequently clashed with Trump, warned of potential legal action if investigations prove Colombians were among the dead. “There should be zero deaths in stopping speedboats believed to be involved in drug smuggling,” he said.
Petro accused the Trump administration of humiliating South American nations, adding: “We will not bow down to the king.”
A Broader Confrontation
The strikes are part of Trump’s escalating regional policy. Since returning to office in January, he has toughened his stance toward Latin America, expanding deportation sweeps and designating several cartels and gangs—including Tren de Aragua and Venezuela’s “Cartel of the Suns”—as terrorist organizations.
The US military has increased its presence in the southern Caribbean over the past two months, deploying additional naval vessels and thousands of Marines and sailors. The moves are widely seen as an effort to pressure both Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and criminal networks operating across the region.
Political Fallout
Petro’s denunciations are the latest flashpoint in an already fraught relationship. The Colombian president reminded reporters that Trump once labeled him a “terrorist” during a US presidential campaign. Pressed on whether his stance risked isolating Colombia, Petro countered: “It is Trump who is isolating the United States with his foreign policies.”
The dispute highlights deep divisions over how to confront the drug trade—through militarized deterrence or through law enforcement and cooperative policing. With 17 dead in a matter of weeks, the debate over the legality and morality of America’s Caribbean campaign is only intensifying.
