President Gustavo Petro has accused the United States of violating Colombia’s sovereignty and killing a civilian fisherman in a recent military strike, escalating tensions between the two longtime allies.
The accusation came shortly after former US President Donald Trump confirmed another operation under his military campaign against what he calls “narcoterrorists.” The campaign, launched to stem drug trafficking from Latin America to the United States, has drawn sharp criticism for its legality and civilian toll.
“US government officials have committed murder and violated our sovereignty in our territorial waters. Fisherman Alejandro Carranza had no ties to drug traffickers and his daily activity was fishing.” Petro said on X, formerly Twitter on Sunday.
Carranza was reportedly killed in a September strike by US forces while fishing in the Caribbean. Petro shared video testimony from the victim’s family and said the boat had been adrift with its distress signal on when it was struck.
“The Colombian boat was adrift and had its distress signal on. We await explanations from the US government.” the president wrote.
Experts have warned that such targeted killings could constitute violations of international law, even when aimed at confirmed drug traffickers.
Trump, however, celebrated the operation in a statement on Truth Social, claiming US forces had destroyed a “drug-carrying submarine” navigating toward the United States.
“It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating towards the United States on a well-known narcotrafficking transit route. Two of the terrorists were killed. The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their Countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia.” he said.
Petro confirmed that the surviving Colombian suspect had been repatriated and would face prosecution.
“We are glad he is alive and he will be prosecuted according to the law,” Petro said.
According to Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, the 34-year-old Colombian arrived in serious condition.
“He arrived with brain trauma, sedated, drugged, breathing with a ventilator,” Benedetti said.
The United States has conducted at least six strikes in the Caribbean since September, mostly targeting speedboats allegedly used for drug trafficking. Washington has not disclosed where the latest semi-submersible originated, though Venezuelan waters have been cited as launch points in prior operations.
Semi-submersible vessels, often built in clandestine shipyards deep in South American jungles, are frequently used to transport cocaine from Colombia to Central America or Mexico—typically via the Pacific Ocean.
President Petro has been one of the most vocal critics of Trump’s anti-narcotics offensive. Speaking at the United Nations last month, he called for criminal proceedings against the former US president over the strikes.
The latest incident, which left a Colombian civilian dead and another critically injured, is likely to deepen diplomatic strain between Bogotá and Washington, reviving questions about the reach and accountability of US military operations abroad.