Khaberni - U.S. President Donald Trump issued a direct warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, following a widescale American military operation that led to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores.
During a press conference held at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump described Petro as managing «cocaine production factories», warning him by saying: «He has factories where he produces cocaine, and sends it to the United States... therefore he must beware his fate».
This warning came as a reaction to statements from Petro, who expressed no concern about the repercussions of the American operation, considering it an «unacceptable aggression» that calls for intervention by the United Nations Security Council.
Trump confirmed that U.S. forces will remain in the region to ensure the security of Venezuelan oil, noting that the operation was «a breathtaking display of American military power» not seen since World War II, involving air, naval, and ground forces, with minor injuries among American soldiers and no loss of lives.
These developments occur within the context of a long-standing escalation between the United States and leftist Latin American countries, especially Venezuela and Colombia, concerning drug trafficking.
Since Trump assumed the presidency again in January 2025, the American administration has intensified its operations against smuggling networks, including air strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, accusing Venezuela of facilitating cocaine transport to the United States.
Colombia, as the world's largest cocaine producer, has experienced tensions with Washington since Petro's election in 2022, who shifted drug policy from traditional enforcement to social reforms focused on farmers instead of chemical spraying, angering Trump who previously described him as an «illegitimate drug leader» and threatened to expand military operations to Colombia if necessary.
In December 2025, the dispute escalated following American strikes on factories in Venezuela, which Petro claimed were linked to drug trafficking, while Trump retorted that Petro «deserves jail» for supporting production.
The arrest of Maduro, who was transferred to New York to face drug trafficking charges, sparked widespread regional condemnation, described by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as having «crossed red lines», while Petro called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the «American aggression».
Meanwhile, the U.S. administration confirmed that it would manage Venezuela temporarily until a «safe transition», focusing on controlling the country's vast oil reserves.
