President Trump’s War on Drug Cartels escalated dramatically with his midnight raid on Venezuela.

Countries around the world are condemning the bold strike, as well as the lethal strikes on alleged drug boats and the seizure of oil tankers.

But one foreign leader is instantly regretting mouthing off to President Trump as Trump makes it clear he’s not done cleaning house.

Now that Trump has gained influence over Venezuela, he made it clear that other Latin American countries could be next.

The U.S. president has particularly escalated tensions with Colombia once again, issuing a pointed warning that its president, Gustavo Petro, could become the next focus of Washington’s aggressive anti-narcotics strategy.

The comments were made on Wednesday during a White House roundtable with business executives, when Trump was asked whether he had recently spoken with Petro.

Rather than offering a diplomatic response, Trump launched into a sharp critique of the Colombian leader, accusing him of hostility toward the United States and suggesting serious consequences could follow.

“He’s creating major problems for himself,” Trump said, alleging that Colombia continues to play a central role in the production and export of cocaine to the U.S.

Trump went on to imply that countries involved in drug trafficking could face direct retaliation, stating that Petro should “wise up” or risk becoming the next target of U.S. action.

Trump’s remarks followed his defense of a recent U.S. military seizure of an oil tanker in the Caribbean; an operation aimed at penalizing Venezuela and Iran for allegedly violating international sanctions.

The episode has fueled broader concerns that Washington may be increasingly willing to deploy military force beyond its borders in pursuit of its policy objectives.

Relations between Trump and Petro have been strained since Petro took office as Colombia’s first leftist president in recent history.

Their disagreements have complicated what was once a close partnership between Bogotá and Washington, particularly under the long-running framework of the US-led “war on drugs”.

For decades, Colombia was among the top recipients of American foreign assistance in South America, much of it directed toward combating drug trafficking and managing an internal conflict involving guerrilla groups, paramilitary forces, and organized crime.

Despite those efforts, Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of coca, the plant used to manufacture cocaine.

Petro’s administration has sought to shift away from traditional eradication campaigns that critics say disproportionately harm rural farmers.

Instead, his government has prioritized dismantling criminal networks and drug laboratories. Petro has claimed that thousands of illegal processing sites have been destroyed during his presidency.

Trump, however, has dismissed those efforts as insufficient. Over the past year, he has repeatedly suggested that Colombia is failing to meet its obligations, at times hinting openly at the possibility of U.S. military intervention.

In earlier remarks, Trump labelled Petro a criminal figure and warned that Colombia would not “get away with it much longer.”

Following renewed threats in December, Petro pushed back publicly, reminding Washington of Colombia’s long-standing cooperation in intercepting cocaine shipments bound for the U.S.

He cautioned that any attack on Colombian territory would amount to a declaration of war and urged Trump not to undermine two centuries of diplomatic relations.

Petro also invited Trump to visit Colombia to observe anti-drug operations firsthand, framing cooperation—not coercion—as the appropriate path forward.

Despite that appeal, the Trump administration formally accused Colombia last fall of failing to comply with international counter-narcotics agreements.

Soon after, the U.S. took the rare step of decertifying Colombia’s anti-drug performance, a move not seen since the late 1990s.

The dispute between the two leaders extends beyond drug policy.

Shortly after Trump began his second term, the presidents clashed publicly over U.S. deportation practices.

Petro condemned the treatment of Colombian migrants, prompting Trump to threaten steep trade tariffs. Petro ultimately reversed his position to avoid economic fallout.

Tensions intensified further when Petro criticized Trump during a visit to the United Nations and participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration.

The Trump administration swiftly revoked Petro’s U.S. visa and later imposed personal sanctions against him.

Petro has also emerged as a vocal critic of Trump’s maritime bombing campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which human rights groups say has killed dozens of civilians.

While Trump maintains the targets were drug traffickers, independent verification has not been provided. Several Colombians were among those killed, prompting international legal complaints and condemnation from UN experts.

Petro has described the strikes as unlawful killings and a violation of Colombia’s sovereignty, underscoring the deepening rift between the two governments once considered close allies.

Trump has publicly stated that Colombia could be next and that President Pedro should “watch his ass.”