DEA designates Gustavo Petro as "priority target" as DOJ investigates whether president has ties to drug trafficking

Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro, has been designated as a "priority target" by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a situation that comes in parallel to preliminary investigations by federal prosecutors who seek to determine possible links of the socialist leader with drug trafficking networks, according to information published by the agency The Associated Press and The New York Times.

According to records cited by the AP, the DEA has included Petro in several lines of investigation since 2022, many based on testimony from confidential informants.

According to the agency's report, the "priority target" designation is used for individuals who, according to the agency,could have a significant impact on drug trafficking. However, it has not been specified when the Colombian president, who came to power in 2022, was granted that status.

In parallel, federal prosecutors in New York - from Manhattan and Brooklyn - opened separate investigations into the Colombian leader, a former member of Colombia's M-19 guerrilla group. According to The New York Times, the process is in its initial stages and involves units specialized in international drug trafficking, as well as DEA and Homeland Security agents.

The investigations explore several hypotheses, including possible contacts with drug traffickers and eventual irregular contributions to his 2022 presidential campaign. The AP, which also cited the NYT report, added that prosecutors have questioned alleged traffickers about allegations that intermediaries linked to Petro have solicited bribes in exchange for avoiding potential extraditions to the United Statess, including inside dangerous Colombian prisons such as La Picota.

Also under investigation are possible links to international criminal organizations, such as the Sinaloa Cartel or the Cártel de los Soles, whose leader, former dictator Nicolás Maduro, was captured on January 3 in a U.S. operation in Caracas. Prosecutors are also investigating potential maneuvers related to the Colombian government's "total peace" policy, as they believe that the peace process with the FARC, which ultimately failed, could have been used to benefit drug traffickers who would have contributed to his presidential campaign.

However, both reports confirmed that there are, for the moment, no formal charges or conclusive public evidence directly implicating the president.

Both reports agree that the investigations are in the preliminary stages and that it is unclear whether they will lead to indictments. Also, both media outlets stressed that the White House has had no involvement in the initiation or development of these investigations, which respond to actions by prosecutors and federal agencies within the Department of Justice.

Meanwhile, Petro has categorically rejected all accusations. In a message disseminated on social networks, he assured that he has "never" had a relationship with drug traffickers and described himself as a denouncer of links between organized crime and political sectors in Colombia. In addition, he maintained that the investigations will eventually disprove what he considers to be attacks driven by sectors of the Colombian opposition.

For its part, the Colombian embassy in Washington said it has not received any official notification from U.S. authorities about a formal investigation against the head of state. In a statement to AP, it described the information as "unverified" and without legal or factual basis.

The DOJ investigation and the appointment of the DEA come as relations between Petro and President Donald Trump have relatively improved after being marked by ongoing public tensions. However,the mere existence of these investigations could have implications for both Colombian domestic politics and bilateral dynamics, with the White House pressing Petro to increase collaborations to tackle drug trafficking.

In Colombia, moreover, investigations into the president's close entourage have emerged in recent years. His son, Nicolas Petro, was accused of receiving illicit money, although the president has maintained that these funds did not finance his campaign. Other versions have pointed to possible contacts of close associates with drug traffickers, but so far have not resulted in charges against the socialist leader.