Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered a halt to intelligence-sharing with U.S. security agencies in protest at U.S. missile strikes on Caribbean boats that have reportedly killed at least 75 people. He has called for an investigation into President Donald Trump for possible war crimes and circulated reports that the UK may be taking similar legal steps. The announcement heightens diplomatic tensions with Washington and came as the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Caribbean.
Petro Suspends Intelligence Sharing with U.S., Demands War‑Crimes Probe After Caribbean Missile Strikes
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered a halt to intelligence-sharing with U.S. security agencies in protest at U.S. missile strikes on Caribbean boats that have reportedly killed at least 75 people. He has called for an investigation into President Donald Trump for possible war crimes and circulated reports that the UK may be taking similar legal steps. The announcement heightens diplomatic tensions with Washington and came as the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Caribbean.
03:26 PM, 11/12/2025Conflict
Colombia suspends intelligence cooperation with the U.S.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday ordered a suspension of intelligence-sharing with United States security agencies in response to repeated U.S. missile strikes against boats in the Caribbean. On X, Petro wrote that "an order has been given at all levels of the public security force’s intelligence services to suspend communications and other dealings with US security agencies," and that the suspension "will remain in force as long as the missile attacks on boats continue."
Petro also circulated unverified media reports suggesting the United Kingdom has taken similar legal steps. The strikes — which U.S. officials say are intended to target drug-running vessels — have reportedly killed at least 75 people and affected nationals from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago.
Petro has called for an investigation into President Donald Trump for possible war crimes, saying the attacks have caused civilian deaths. After meeting the family of an alleged Colombian victim, Petro said: "He may have been carrying fish, or he may have been carrying cocaine, but he had not been sentenced to death. There was no need to murder him."
This move deepens an already tense relationship between Bogotá and Washington. U.S. officials have accused Petro of being lenient toward traffickers and criticized his decisions regarding extradition of certain rebel leaders. Earlier diplomatic clashes included the U.S. revoking Petro's visa in September and the Treasury Department later imposing sanctions on Petro, members of his family and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, alleging failures to curb Colombia's cocaine industry.
Petro's announcement coincided with the arrival of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group in the Caribbean, a development that has stoked speculation of potential escalation. The Pentagon confirmed the carrier strike group had reached the region with at least 4,000 sailors and tactical aircraft aboard.
Context: Petro is a long-standing critic of U.S. drug policy, arguing Washington focuses on small-scale coca growers rather than the principal traffickers and the financial networks that sustain the trade. The dispute highlights broader regional tensions over security, sovereignty and international law.