US escalates tensions with Latin America over drug trafficking

The US has imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of failing to curb drug trafficking and allowing cartels to flourish. The decision is part of a growing diplomatic dispute between the two countries, with Petro's left-wing government and the US administration at odds over US strikes on boats suspected of smuggling drugs. The sanctions also target Petro's wife, eldest son, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, barring them from accessing assets in the US. Petro has denied the allegations, stating that his administration has stemmed the growth of coca crops and that the US Treasury's actions are 'arbitrary' and typical of an 'oppressive regime'. The move has escalated tensions between the two nations, with Colombia announcing that it will cease buying weapons from the US.

Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has accused the US of 'fabricating a new war' after the deployment of the world's largest warship, the USS Gerald R Ford, to the Caribbean. The US has conducted 10 air strikes on boats in the area as part of its war on drug traffickers, with US President Donald Trump accusing Maduro of being the leader of a drug-trafficking organisation. The US does not recognise Maduro as the president of Venezuela, following the disputed 2024 election. Experts have questioned the legality of the US air strikes and suggested that the military build-up is intended to pressure Maduro's government.

The Colombian government has called on the US to stop attacking vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean as part of an operation targeting drug smuggling. The US has conducted at least nine such attacks, resulting in 37 deaths. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been at odds with US President Trump, exchanging angry threats over the issue. Petro argues that the US should focus on capturing the leaders of drug cartels rather than killing lower-level traffickers. The Colombian government has reiterated its commitment to fighting drugs, but wants to do so through diplomatic channels.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has criticized the US military strikes on drug smuggling boats in international waters, calling them 'easy but ineffective' and 'illegal.' Petro stated that some of those killed in the strikes have been innocent civilians and that the attacks violate international law. The US has announced at least 10 such strikes in the past two months, with the most recent one killing six alleged 'narco-terrorists.' Petro has urged the US to target major shipments instead of small smuggling boats and has offered to dialogue with President Trump. The US has denied Petro's accusations, with President Trump defending the strikes as part of his fight against drug trafficking gangs.

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family members, and a close associate, escalating a feud between President Trump and Petro. The sanctions freeze their U.S. assets and block transactions with U.S. entities, citing increased cocaine production in Colombia under Petro's leadership. The U.S. Treasury Department and State Department have condemned Petro's alleged appeasement of drug cartels and narco-terrorists. Petro has criticized U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats, which have killed over 40 people, and Trump has threatened to cut foreign aid to Colombia and hike tariffs. The U.S. is also deploying an aircraft carrier strike group to Latin American waters to counter narcotics traffickers.

The US is deploying an aircraft carrier strike group to the waters off Latin America as part of a major buildup to counter narcotics traffickers. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, will lead the group, which will join eight other US vessels already in the region. The move is part of the Trump administration's campaign to disrupt illicit actors and activities in the Western Hemisphere. The decision comes after a recent US strike on a vessel allegedly operated by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which was trafficking drugs in the Caribbean Sea.

Retired Army Major General James 'Spider' Marks discusses the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, to Latin America, and its implications for Trump's plans to target cocaine facilities and drug trafficking routes in Venezuela.

The US Navy's aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford, described as the 'most lethal combat platform' in the world, is being deployed to the Caribbean amid heightened military pressure on Venezuela by the Trump administration over alleged drug trafficking. The Ford is the largest warship the US has ever built, with advanced technology including electromagnetic aircraft launch systems and advanced arresting gear. It carries a crew of almost 4,600 and a range of aircraft, including F/A-18 fighter jets. The deployment is part of a broader military buildup in the region.

The Trump administration has deployed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Western Hemisphere to combat narco-terrorism and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) in the region. The strike group, which includes the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, and three Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, will enhance U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities. The deployment is part of the Trump administration's efforts to combat the nation's drug crisis, with a focus on targeting suspected drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean. The strikes have attracted scrutiny from both sides of the aisle, with some lawmakers questioning their legality.

The US military conducted a strike in the Eastern Pacific, killing three alleged narco-terrorists on a vessel linked to a designated terrorist organization. The strike was ordered by President Donald Trump as part of the administration's escalating crackdown on drug networks. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced the strike, stating that the vessel was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling and was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route. This was the ninth vessel strike since September and the second in the Eastern Pacific, with a total of 37 killed and two repatriated. The Trump administration has faced scrutiny over the strikes, with concerns raised about due process and the potential for killing innocent people.

The US carried out a nighttime strike on a suspected drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing six alleged narco-terrorists, at the direction of President Trump. This marks the 10th strike targeting suspected drug trafficking boats since Trump returned to office, with a total of 43 suspected drug traffickers killed and two surviving. The strikes have mostly targeted vessels linked to Venezuela's Tren de Aragua network. The administration has faced criticism from lawmakers and foreign leaders, with concerns raised about the legality of the strikes and the lack of due process for those killed. Senators Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton have backed the strikes, while Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro have condemned them.

The US has deployed its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, to the waters off South America as part of an operation to target alleged drug smuggling boats. The move has been criticized by Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, who accused the US of 'inventing a new eternal war'. The US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, claimed that six 'narco-terrorists' were killed in a strike on a suspected drug smuggling boat, and warned that the US would treat anyone smuggling drugs in the Western Hemisphere like al Qaeda. Democrats have expressed concerns that the strikes risk dragging the US into a war with Venezuela, and have condemned the attacks as extrajudicial killings.

The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of allowing drug cartels to flourish. Petro has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump's policies and has criticized US support for Israeli military actions. The sanctions freeze any US assets of Petro and his family members and bar Americans from dealing with them. Petro has denied the allegations, stating that his government has seized more cocaine than any other in history and implying that the sanctions are a result of his criticism of the US.