Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Friday that people aboard suspected drug-smuggling vessels jumped into the Pacific Ocean to escape what he described as a U.S. attack near the waters off Mexico and Guatemala.
In a post on X, Petro shared a map marking the area where the strike allegedly took place and urged regional governments to take note. Citing information from Colombia’s navy, he said three people were killed, while others survived by abandoning the vessels after they were bombed.
“Notice to all governments in the area,” Petro wrote. “It seems this is the exact zone where the boaters who jumped from vessels that were bombed fell. It is known that three people died, the rest survived because they jumped into the sea. Information obtained by our naval force, which is ready to collaborate.”
Why It Matters
The United States has confirmed that a strike carried out on December 31 killed five people, though officials have released few details. The attack was part of a wider military campaign later identified as Operation Southern Spear. Launched in September, the operation has involved 34 strikes against suspected drug-trafficking boats and has resulted in at least 115 deaths, according to U.S. figures.
What to Know
The Trump administration has framed the campaign as an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, relying on a classified Justice Department legal determination that allows those killed to be treated as “unlawful combatants” and permits strikes without judicial oversight.
According to reporting by the Associated Press, two attacks on December 31 killed five people, with additional individuals seen jumping overboard. It remains unclear how many survived. U.S. Southern Command said it alerted the Coast Guard to begin search-and-rescue efforts but did not confirm whether anyone was recovered.
In a separate social media statement, the U.S. military said it struck a three-boat convoy on December 30 after the vessels allegedly transferred narcotics between them. Video of the attack was released, though no physical evidence of the drugs was provided.
Petro, who has repeatedly described the strikes as “murders,” has warned that the campaign could escalate into a wider regional conflict. When asked on December 29 whether the United States would expand operations onto land, President Trump said, “We hit all the boats and now we hit the area. That is no longer around.”
“Anybody that’s doing that and selling it into our country is subject to attack,” Trump added when asked whether Colombia could be targeted next. “Not just Venezuela.”
In Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro condemned the broader campaign but said in a recorded New Year’s Eve interview that his government remains open to talks with Washington on drug enforcement. He did not address reports of a CIA drone strike on a coastal docking facility in Venezuela allegedly used by traffickers—an operation believed to be the first U.S. strike on Venezuelan soil during the current military buildup.
What People Are Saying
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Fox & Friends that targeting vessels was meant to send “a message around the world that the illegal activity that Maduro is participating in cannot stand, he needs to be gone, and that we will stand up for our people.”
Maduro, in a message shared through his official Telegram channel on December 30, said: “The U.S. government knows, because we’ve told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we’re ready.”
What Happens Next
Petro has indicated that Colombia may pursue additional international legal options and has offered assistance in identifying and locating survivors from the latest strikes. Colombian officials are also expected to raise the issue at upcoming meetings of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
