The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego, known as Gustavo Petro, along with several members of his support network. The designations were made under counternarcotics-related authorities pursuant to Executive Order 14059, which targets foreign individuals involved in the global illicit drug trade.
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent stated, “Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans. President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity. Today, President Trump is taking strong action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate the trafficking of drugs into our nation.”
Colombia continues to be the world’s leading producer and exporter of cocaine. Much of this cocaine is acquired by Mexican cartels before being smuggled into the United States across the southern border. The Treasury noted that despite international concerns about Colombia's role in drug trafficking, President Petro recently compared cocaine use to whiskey.
Gustavo Petro was elected president in 2022 after a history as a guerilla member. According to OFAC, his administration has implemented policies such as the “total peace” plan that have benefited narco-terrorist organizations and contributed to record levels of coca cultivation and cocaine production. On September 15, 2025, it was determined that Colombia is a major transit or producing country for illicit drugs and is "failing demonstrably" to meet its drug control responsibilities.
The Treasury also cited incidents where President Petro allegedly shared confidential information from secure anti-money laundering channels in 2024, which led to Colombia’s Financial Intelligence Unit being suspended from The Egmont Group. Additionally, he has reportedly allied with Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro Moros regime and the Cartel de Los Soles.
Alongside President Petro, OFAC designated his eldest son Nicolas Fernando Petro Burgos; his wife Veronica del Socorro Alcocer Garcia; and close associate Armando Alberto Benedetti Villaneda. Nicolas Petro was previously arrested in Colombia for money laundering and illicit enrichment related to campaign financing with funds allegedly sourced from drug traffickers. Veronica Alcocer was appointed ambassador by her husband but had her appointment annulled by a Colombian court due to constitutional violations. Armando Benedetti has held multiple high-ranking government roles under Petro and was most recently named Minister of the Interior in February 2025.
These individuals are being sanctioned for providing financial or material support for Gustavo Petro.
As a result of these sanctions, all property and interests belonging to those designated that are within the United States or controlled by U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Entities owned at least 50 percent by one or more blocked persons are also affected. Transactions involving blocked persons are generally prohibited unless authorized by OFAC.
Violating these sanctions can lead to civil or criminal penalties for both U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC enforces these measures under strict liability standards as outlined in its Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines.
OFAC emphasized that while its ability to designate individuals is central to enforcement efforts, it also considers removal from sanction lists when appropriate legal criteria are met. The stated goal of sanctions is behavioral change rather than punishment.
Further details on those designated can be found on the Treasury Department website.
