6 months ago
2
President Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro traded aggravated threats Wednesday (October 22, 2025) arsenic the United States announced its archetypal onslaught connected an alleged drug-smuggling vessel successful the Pacific Ocean, sidesplitting 2 people.
Mr. Trump branded Mr. Petro a "thug" and suggested helium was a cause trafficker starring his state to ruin, prompting the leftist person to vow: "I volition support myself legally with American lawyers."
Mr. Trump said captious subject assistance to Colombia had been chopped and warned Mr. Petro to "watch it," hours aft Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a video of a vessel engulfed successful flames.
"There were 2 narco-terrorists aboard the vessel... Both terrorists were killed and nary US forces were harmed," Mr. Hegseth said connected X, adding: "Just arsenic Al-Qaeda waged warfare connected our homeland, these cartels are waging warfare connected our border."
Tuesday's (October 21, 2025) strike, seemingly carried retired successful planetary waters, brings the full fig of specified U.S. attacks to astatine slightest eight, with 34 radical dead, according to U.S. figures.
Until present the strikes had lone taken spot successful the Caribbean.
The root of the targeted vessels — 7 boats and 1 semi-submersible — has not been disclosed, though immoderate were destroyed disconnected Venezuela's coast.
At slightest 1 came from Trinidad and Tobago, different from Colombia, families of those killed told AFP.
Washington has deployed stealth warplanes and Navy ships arsenic portion of what it calls counter-narcotics efforts, but has yet to merchandise grounds that its targets were cause smugglers.
The Pentagon told Congress the United States is successful "armed conflict" with Latin American cause cartels, designating them arsenic violent groups and describing suspected smugglers arsenic "unlawful combatants."
Experts accidental the summary killings are amerciable adjacent if they people confirmed traffickers.
Regional tensions person flared, with Colombia recalling its ambassador to Washington and Venezuela accusing the United States of plotting to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro.
Colombia is the world's apical cocaine producer, but has worked for decades alongside the United States to curb production, which is controlled by a scope of well-funded paramilitary, cartel and guerrilla groups.
But relations person soured markedly since Mr. Trump and Mr. Petro person taken power.
‘Unacceptable’
"Under nary circumstances tin 1 warrant that benignant of threats and accusations that person nary ground whatsoever," Colombian ambassador Daniel Garcia-Pena told AFP aft being recalled to Bogota for consultations.
"There are elements that are unacceptable," helium said, visibly alarmed aft being told what Mr. Trump had said minutes before.
"We are facing a U.S. authorities that is trying to alteration the paradigm of its planetary relations" Mr. Garcia-Pena added, "where uncertainty unluckily plays a precise important role."
"At involvement present is simply a historical narration of much than 200 years that benefits some the United States and Colombia," helium said.
