Trump’s Own Words
Speaking to reporters at the White House on December 10, President Donald Trump was asked whether he had spoken with Colombian President Gustavo Petro as tensions grow over Trump’s military and economic campaign against drug trafficking in the region. Trump replied he had not “really thought too much about” Petro, then immediately shifted tone and said Colombia “produces a lot of drugs,” adding Petro “better wise up or he’ll be next. He’ll be next soon. I hope he’s listening, he’s going to be next.”
Trump’s comments came on the same day he announced U.S. forces had seized a large oil tanker, referred to as the Skipper, off the coast of Venezuela, as part of an expanding campaign he frames as a fight against narcotics and illicit networks.
How This Fits into Operation Southern Spear
The threat to Colombia comes against the backdrop of Operation Southern Spear, the name the Pentagon has now given to the ongoing U.S. military campaign targeting vessels the administration describes as “narco-terrorist” boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. According to a Pentagon briefing on December 2, U.S. Southern Command has conducted 21 “kinetic strikes,” which the Defense Department says have killed 82 alleged narco-terrorists so far.
That campaign began with airstrikes and has grown into a sustained use of force at sea, supported by the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and associated naval assets to the Caribbean region. These actions have already generated significant legal and political controversy, including criticism from members of Congress and international law experts who question the legal basis for lethal strikes on suspected traffickers without judicial process or specific authorization from Congress.
Trump’s language about who could be “next” seems to be in the context of ongoing lethal operations, combined with new economic and diplomatic pressure on governments he accuses of enabling the drug trade.
Previous U.S. Pressure on Colombia in 2025
Trump and Petro have already clashed repeatedly this year. In January, Colombia refused to allow two U.S. military aircraft carrying deported Colombian nationals to land, arguing the use of military planes treated its citizens like criminals. In response, Trump threatened to impose an emergency 25% tariff on all Colombian goods, to double that to 50% within a week, and to apply emergency financial sanctions and visa restrictions on Colombian officials and citizens.
Washington later announced it would not immediately impose those penalties after Colombia agreed to resume accepting deportees. The episode marked an early warning of how Trump was prepared to use tariffs, sanctions, and migration leverage against Bogotá.
In October, Trump again escalated pressure and threatened new tariffs on Colombia over what he called failures in its anti-drug policy. He warned of import tariffs in the context of coca cultivation and cocaine exports, which he says undermine U.S. security, a move analysts described as a sharp break from the long-standing U.S. approach that used trade preferences as a counter-narcotics tool. Around the same time, Trump also threatened to cut off financial aid to Colombia and publicly labeled Petro an “illegal drug leader,” prompting Colombia to recall its ambassador from Washington.
Threats of Military Action and Colombia’s Response
The rhetoric has not stopped at economic pressure. In late November and early December, Trump publicly suggested any country he considered responsible for drugs reaching the United States, including Colombia, could be “subject to attack.” According to reporting in U.S. and Colombian media, he made these remarks while defending the legality and necessity of the boat strikes, saying countries that “make cocaine and sell it into our country” could face U.S. military action.
President Petro has warned in public statements that threatening military action against Colombia’s territory would amount to a declaration of war and urged Washington not to “damage two centuries of diplomatic relations.”
Today’s “he’ll be next” comment fits into that same pattern. The new statement links Petro personally to Colombia’s drug production and suggests Trump could expand the kind of measures already used against Venezuela to Colombia, without specifying whether he means more tariffs, additional sanctions, or direct military action.
Where the Situation Stands
As of now, there is no public indication that the U.S. military has expanded Operation Southern Spear strikes into Colombian territory or territorial waters, and the Pentagon’s official updates describe targets as vessels associated with Venezuelan and other non-state actors in international or disputed waters.
For now, there is also no public White House order announcing new tariffs or sanctions on Colombia today beyond the earlier threats and measures reported in January and October. Those prior episodes show Trump has already used or attempted to use tariffs, sanctions, aid cuts, and migration tools against Bogotá when he believes Colombia is not cooperating. Today’s comments signal he is willing to connect that pressure directly to Petro’s political fate.
Trump’s language that Petro will be “next” and must “wise up” therefore represents an escalation in rhetoric rather than a clearly defined policy shift. The practical consequences will depend on whether the administration now moves from words to new economic or military steps, and on how Colombia and other regional governments respond or seek to constrain U.S. action through diplomatic, legal, or multilateral channels.
