President Trump to meet with Colombian President Petro amid drug crackdown
President Trump announced an upcoming meeting with the Colombian leader just days after the U.S. military arrested Nicolas Maduro
by Summer Lane | January 9, 2026
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he would be meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro next month at the White House, amid increasing crackdowns by the U.S. military on drug trafficking and cartel activity in the Western Hemisphere.
“I look forward to having a meeting with Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, in the White House, during the first week of February,” the president said in a statement.
He continued, “I am sure it will work out very well for Colombia, and the U.S.A., but, cocaine and other drugs must be STOPPED from coming into the United States.”
Previously, President Trump advised Petro to “watch his ass,” regarding continued drug problems coming from Colombia.
Petro, perhaps unwisely, has referred to U.S. ICE immigration enforcement operations as “Nazi brigades,” and has also said that America, by expanding its control over the Western Hemisphere, is becoming “isolated from the world.”
However, it appears that Petro, for all his bravado, will indeed come to the table to talk with President Trump.
This comes just a week after Operation Absolute Resolve, a U.S. military strike resulting in the arrest of Nicolas Maduro. The operation, conducted in just a handful of hours, was the culmination of heightened action from the U.S. military against Venezuelan drug cartel activity.
Venezuela, home to the world’s largest oil reserves, is now essentially in the hands of the United States, and on Friday, the president announced a meeting with the largest oil companies in the world to discuss the situation.
“Today’s meeting will almost exclusively be a discussion on Venezuelan Oil, and our longterm relationship with Venezuela, its Security, and People,” the president explained. “A very big factor in this involvement will be the reduction of Oil Prices for the American People. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly of all, will be the stoppage of Drugs and Criminals coming into the United States of America.”
President Trump also announced that, amid apparent signs of Venezuelan cooperation, he had “cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks, which looks like it will not be needed, however, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes.”
In terms of controlling the oil reserves in South America, the president said that “at least” $100 billion would be invested by big oil in the oil and gas infrastructure of Venezuela.
Photo: Adobe Stock
