Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused the United States of bombing a vessel carrying Colombian citizens in the Caribbean, a claim the White House has strongly rejected as “baseless and reprehensible.” Petro made the statement in response to ongoing US military strikes in the region, which Washington says are aimed at “narco-traffickers” in international waters.
The US has conducted at least four strikes since 2 September, reportedly killing 21 people. While the US maintains these actions target drug-smuggling operations—primarily off the Venezuelan coast—it has not released evidence or identified those killed. President Petro stated that “indications show” the latest boat bombed was Colombian, calling the campaign an “aggression against all of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
The White House responded by reaffirming its commitment to regional cooperation with Colombia but demanded Petro retract his claim. Lawmakers in the US remain divided: a Senate measure that would have required President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval for future strikes failed narrowly in a 48-51 vote.
The strikes have raised legal and ethical concerns in Latin America. A leaked memo suggests the US now classifies these operations under a “non-international armed conflict,” potentially enabling broader wartime powers—including lethal force—against alleged traffickers.
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