Colombia to Continue Intelligence Collaboration

Bogotá, Colombia – November 13, 2025 – Colombia announced it will maintain intelligence-sharing with the United States in its fight against drug trafficking, just days after President Gustavo Petro had said such cooperation would be suspended.

• Defense Minister Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez confirmed Petro instructed officials to sustain a “continuous flow of information” with international agencies combating drugs.
• Interior Minister Armando Benedetti clarified that Petro never intended to halt collaboration with US security forces, describing prior reports as a “misunderstanding.”

“Against transnational crime, the answer is international cooperation,” Sanchez said on social media platform X.

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Background: Controversial US Strikes

Petro had criticized a series of deadly US strikes on vessels in international waters, which Washington said were targeting drug traffickers.

• The strikes began in September 2025, primarily in the Caribbean and Pacific, and have killed at least 76 people.
• UN officials and human rights experts, including Volker Turk, condemned the attacks as violations of international law.

Petro called for Trump to be investigated for war crimes, arguing that US strikes indiscriminately affect civilians and small-scale farmers rather than major traffickers.

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US-Colombia Relations

• The Trump administration defended its operations, claiming the attacks deter drug trafficking.
• Earlier reports suggested the UK suspended some intelligence-sharing with the US over the strikes, though US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called those reports “fake.”
• Despite tensions, Colombia confirmed it will continue cooperating with US and international agencies against drug trafficking.

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Key Takeaways:

• Colombia’s government maintains intelligence-sharing with the US despite prior threats to halt collaboration.
• Deadly US strikes in the Caribbean remain a source of diplomatic tension.
• Petro continues to push for international scrutiny of US military actions targeting suspected drug operations.