Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday that he gave President Trump a list of major drug “kingpins” for the United States and Colombia to pursue jointly, following their White House meeting. Petro noted that the traffickers’ financial networks are abroad and require coordinated intelligence efforts between the two countries.
Speaking at a press conference at the Colombian Embassy in Washington, D.C., Petro said he proposed closer cooperation to detain the so-called “kingpins of the kingpins,” whom he claims are based in Madrid, Miami, and Dubai. He described the meeting as “positive,” saying the leaders discussed “concrete problems and possible paths forward,” though he acknowledged neither leader changed their views on many issues.
Trump also described the meeting as “very good,” noting that they “got along very well” despite previously tense relations. The Oval Office discussion included topics such as sanctions, though no specific commitments on action against the listed traffickers were announced.
Petro reiterated that he never requested removal from the U.S. Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals List and invited Trump to visit Cartagena, a port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. He also said Trump gave him a “Make America Great Again” hat, and Petro suggested modifying it to read “Make Americas Great Again,” reflecting his call for broader hemispheric cooperation.
The meeting comes amid past tensions, including Trump’s accusations that Petro was “making cocaine and selling” it to the U.S., and Petro’s criticisms of U.S. strikes against alleged drug-trafficking vessels. Petro emphasized that intelligence sharing with the U.S. has not been halted and, in fact, has expanded.
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