(MENAFN) Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) has rejected accusations from Washington that it was behind a boat allegedly used for drug trafficking that was destroyed by the US Navy in the Caribbean.

The incident took place on Friday, and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth later shared a video of the operation on social media, claiming American intelligence had identified the vessel as being “affiliated” with the ELN and “involved in illicit narcotics smuggling.”

Responding to the allegations, the ELN issued a statement on Tuesday declaring that it “does not and will not have any boat connected with drug trafficking activities, neither in the Caribbean nor any other ocean.” The group stressed that narcotics trafficking is “simply… prohibited” under its internal rules, according to reports.

The ELN, Colombia’s oldest active insurgent organization, has been engaged in armed conflict with the government since the 1960s and is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and several other nations. Washington also alleges that the group operates across the border in Venezuela.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the US strike on Monday, saying that the boat targeted belonged to a “humble family” and was not used for drug trafficking. He criticized the attack, which killed three people, calling it unjustified.

Earlier this month, Petro described a series of US attacks on boats near Venezuela’s coast — which reportedly began in September — as “an aggression against all of Latin America and the Caribbean.” He accused Washington of pursuing control over regional oil resources rather than combating narcotics. Venezuelan authorities have similarly denounced the operations as part of an American effort to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, denying any involvement with drug cartels.

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump escalated tensions further by labeling Petro an “illegal drug dealer,” saying he would impose higher tariffs on Colombia and halt all financial transfers to the country. He claimed that drug trafficking “has become the biggest business” in Colombia and that “Petro does nothing to stop it.”

In response, Bogotá recalled its ambassador from Washington, with Petro denouncing Trump’s comments as “rude and ignorant to Colombia.”

Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) has rejected accusations from Washington that it was behind a boat allegedly used for drug trafficking that was destroyed by the US Navy in the Caribbean.

The incident took place on Friday, and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth later shared a video of the operation on social media, claiming American intelligence had identified the vessel as being “affiliated” with the ELN and “involved in illicit narcotics smuggling.”

Responding to the allegations, the ELN issued a statement on Tuesday declaring that it “does not and will not have any boat connected with drug trafficking activities, neither in the Caribbean nor any other ocean.” The group stressed that narcotics trafficking is “simply… prohibited” under its internal rules, according to reports.

The ELN, Colombia’s oldest active insurgent organization, has been engaged in armed conflict with the government since the 1960s and is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and several other nations. Washington also alleges that the group operates across the border in Venezuela.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the US strike on Monday, saying that the boat targeted belonged to a “humble family” and was not used for drug trafficking. He criticized the attack, which killed three people, calling it unjustified.

Earlier this month, Petro described a series of US attacks on boats near Venezuela’s coast — which reportedly began in September — as “an aggression against all of Latin America and the Caribbean.” He accused Washington of pursuing control over regional oil resources rather than combating narcotics. Venezuelan authorities have similarly denounced the operations as part of an American effort to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, denying any involvement with drug cartels.

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump escalated tensions further by labeling Petro an “illegal drug dealer,” saying he would impose higher tariffs on Colombia and halt all financial transfers to the country. He claimed that drug trafficking “has become the biggest business” in Colombia and that “Petro does nothing to stop it.”

In response, Bogotá recalled its ambassador from Washington, with Petro denouncing Trump’s comments as “rude and ignorant to Colombia.”

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