US says it hit Colombian vessel as Bogota decries Trump's accusations against Petro

US President Donald Trump called Colombian President Gustavo Petro an “illegal drug leader” on Oct 19 and said payments to the South American nation would cease, while Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said US forces had attacked a vessel associated with a Colombian rebel group.

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Mr Trump’s comments marked a new low in relations between Bogota and Washington, which have frayed since Mr Trump returned to office in January and since his administration launched a series of strikes on vessels allegedly transporting drugs in the Caribbean.

The US President said on social media that Washington would stop large-scale payments and subsidies to Colombia. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally, said Mr Trump will soon announce “major tariffs” on the country.

Colombia currently pays tariffs of 10 per cent on most exports to the US, a baseline level Mr Trump has imposed on many countries.

Mr Hegseth wrote on social media platform X that the Pentagon had destroyed a vessel and killed three people on Oct 17 “in the USSouthcom (US Southern Command) area of responsibility”, which includes the Caribbean.