Colombia's Petro scrutinized in US criminal investigations, source says

• Summary

• Companies

• Petro’s conduct surfaced in narco-terrorism probes

• Petro not the focus of either investigation

• U.S.-Colombia relations soured under Trump, Petro

March 20 (Reuters) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro is being examined in criminal investigations ​by two U.S. federal prosecutors’ offices, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters ‌on Friday.

Petro is not the focus of either investigation, but his conduct has surfaced in narco-terrorism and drug trafficking investigations being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York, the source said.

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“There are not ongoing ​investigations that are squarely focused on him,” the source told Reuters.

The New York Times first ​reported that U.S. prosecutors were scrutinizing Petro. According to the Times, the probes involve ⁠prosecutors focused on international narcotics trafficking, along with agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland ​Security Investigations.

The report said investigators are examining, among other things, Petro’s possible meetings with drug traffickers and whether ​his presidential campaign solicited donations from traffickers.

Petro said on X that he had never spoken to a drug trafficker and that he had always instructed his campaign managers never to accept funds from them.

“A thorough and intensive investigation into ​my presidential campaign did not uncover a single peso taken from drug traffickers,” Petro said.

The investigations are ​in the early stages and it is unclear whether they will result in charges, the Times said.

A spokesperson for ‌the U.S. ⁠attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment and the Brooklyn office did not immediately respond.

The Times reported that there was no indication that the White House had a role in initiating the investigations.

U.S.-COLOMBIA TENSIONS

Tensions between the two countries have been unusually strained in recent months, with U.S. President Donald Trump lashing out ​against Petro, accusing him of ​being a “sick man” who ⁠enabled cocaine trafficking from South America to the U.S.

While Colombian traffickers are the top producers of the drug, the nation is also one of the key ​allies of the U.S. in fighting the drug trade in the region.

Petro shot ​back at ⁠Trump’s allegations, highlighting the long-standing security work between the two countries and alleging that it was U.S. demand for the drug that fueled the market.

The two leaders appeared to reconcile in February in a White House meeting. ⁠Trump described ​Petro as “terrific” and Petro added that he had asked Washington ​to focus on the “kingpins” of the drug trade.

Reporting by Kylie Madry in Mexico City, Luis Jaime Acosta in Bogota, Luc Cohen ​in New York and Andrew Goudsward in Washington; Editing by Daina Beth Solomon, Mark Porter and Cynthia Osterman

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