US Probes Launch into Petro's Drug Trafficking Ties

Federal prosecutors in New York have launched two separate criminal investigations into possible ties between Colombian President Gustavo Petro and drug traffickers, focusing on his 2022 presidential campaign and potential meetings with narcotics figures, according to sources familiar with the matters.

The inquiries, one led by the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan and the other in Brooklyn, involve specialists in international narcotics trafficking along with agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. Sources say the probes, which began surfacing in investigations dating to 2022, are examining whether Petro's campaign solicited donations from criminal organizations and if his representatives sought bribes from incarcerated traffickers at Bogotá's La Picota prison in exchange for promises against extradition to the United States. The DEA has designated Petro a priority target, a status reserved for individuals believed to significantly influence the drug trade, based in part on interviews with confidential informants. Records reviewed by investigators also point to alleged dealings with Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and the use of...