Articles of Distraction

[Angrboda]

Trump responds after Colombian leader accuses US of murder in strike on alleged drug boat

The U.S. has launched military strikes on seven alleged drug trafficking vessels since September, killing at least 32. The latest strike was announced Oct. 19 by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said it destroyed a boat "transporting substantial amounts of narcotics" and killed all three people on board. Legal experts and lawmakers from both parties have questioned the legality of the strikes.

Petro said one of the strikes killed a fisherman who "had no ties to the drug trade."

"The Colombian boat was adrift and had its distress signal up due to an engine failure," Petro added in an Oct. 18 social media post. "We await explanations from the US government."

Trump responded the next day, lashing out at Petro as a "low rated and very unpopular leader, with a fresh mouth toward America."

The president said that the U.S. is cutting off financial assistance to Colombia and warned he could go further.

Referring to illegal drug production in Colombia, Trump wrote on social media Oct. 19 that Petro "better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely."

Petro continued to push back on Trump, saying he is "rude and ignorant toward Colombia."

Even as he feuds with Petro, Trump is sending a survivor of one of the military strikes on alleged drug vessels back to Colombia. Trump announced Oct. 18 that two people had survived a strike on a submarine heading toward the United States with illegal narcotics.