(MENAFN) Colombian President Gustavo Petro has declared the suspension of intelligence collaboration with the United States following its air raids on supposed drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea.

Petro revealed this decision on X on Tuesday, in response to news that the United Kingdom had undertaken a comparable measure.

He affirmed that the suspension will persist as long as the U.S. continues these assaults.

“The fight against drugs must be subordinated to the human rights of the Caribbean people,” Petro stated.

According to the Pentagon, the ongoing missions—initiated under President Donald Trump—are directed at drug-smuggling vessels allegedly operating from Venezuela and Colombia. However, Petro has denounced these airstrikes as unlawful actions.

The U.S. government has also enacted sanctions against Petro, his relatives, and several cabinet officials, accusing them of having connections to narcotics cartels—an allegation Petro has firmly rejected, citing his administration’s efforts to dismantle drug-trafficking organizations.

In a related statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized the U.S. campaign, asserting that Washington should instead turn its attention toward Belgium, which one of its own judges recently labeled as an emerging “narco-state.”

Since early September, U.S. forces have carried out airstrikes on 20 small vessels, resulting in at least 76 fatalities, according to Pentagon data.

The Trump administration has yet to provide any verifiable proof linking these targets to drug cartels.

Critics argue that the military campaign might actually be a pretext for regime change efforts in Venezuela.

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