Overview
- U.S. attorney’s offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn are conducting early-stage inquiries involving international narcotics prosecutors, the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations, according to multiple reports.
- Investigators are examining alleged meetings with traffickers and whether representatives tied to Petro’s 2022 campaign sought donations or bribes to block extraditions, including claims centered on Colombia’s La Picota prison, the AP reported.
- Sources told Reuters and CBS News that Petro is not the central focus and that his conduct surfaced through broader narco-trafficking probes, with no indication the White House initiated the investigations.
- DEA records cited by AP and other outlets list Petro as a “priority target” who has appeared in multiple U.S. investigations dating to 2022, a designation reflecting investigative attention rather than a formal charge.
- Petro stated on X that he has never spoken with a drug trafficker and that his campaigns barred donations from traffickers or bankers, asserting that U.S. inquiries will refute accusations pushed by his domestic opponents.