In recent statements, Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, said that drug trafficking activity in the country is becoming increasingly difficult, an assessment that has placed official strategies, seizure figures, and the role of international cooperation at the center of the debate in this fight.
Petro’s remarks, made through his official communication channels, seek to underscore what his government views as progress, but they also come amid domestic criticism and external pressure as the 2026 electoral cycle approaches.
The fight against drugs has for decades been one of Colombia’s greatest challenges, a country that leads global figures in cocaine production and has endured decades of violence linked to cartels, guerrillas, and illegal armed groups. It also follows months of controversy with the United States and open disagreements over the Colombian government’s anti-drug strategy.
In a message published on his social media, President Petro highlighted that under his administration, cocaine seizures have reached record levels, with an increase of around 150% compared with the previous government, while the growth of coca leaf crops has been relatively moderate, according to his figures.
He also emphasized the extradition of hundreds of kingpins to the United States and the strengthening of port controls and maritime surveillance as factors that, in his view, have made the activity more costly and dangerous for drug traffickers.
‘Drug trafficking is becoming increasingly difficult in Colombia’: President Petro
The president’s narrative places operational results at the center of his assessment: More seizures, more extraditions, and greater territorial control over traditional drug trafficking routes. According to Petro, these actions have caused a collapse in the price of the raw material, putting economic pressure on criminal organizations that depend on profits from the cocaine trade.
In his account, the active presence of the Navy in the Caribbean and coordinated operations from the air have been key elements in intercepting shipments without resorting to lethal violence against the intercepted vessels.
“This article is relatively objective. Indeed, in Colombia, drug trafficking activity is becoming increasingly difficult. The increase in crops throughout my government has been just 6%, while seizures increased by 150% compared with the previous government,” the president noted in his message, referring to a report by local magazine Semana.
President Petro recalls that during his administration, 2,840 tons of cocaine have been seized, which, after converting the coca paste also seized, rises to 3,050 tons of cocaine from August 2002 to date. He also says that under his mandate, 700 kingpins have been extradited, including 500 to the United States, and that “they now provide a lot of information to DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration].”
Another front in the current government’s fight against drugs, according to the president, has been maritime ports. “I changed port control by giving control to the [Colombian] navy. Through the ports it is increasingly difficult to get out, and the presence of the United States fleet in the Caribbean plays a deterrent role; it was possible to do it in a coordinated manner, I proposed it earlier to Macron [president of France], to Biden [former president of the United States], and to the Venezuelan fleet itself, but without using missiles. We have a great deal of experience in seizures with operations from the air, and the taking of the boat with its crew alive,” the president highlighted in his post. He added that “the result of our actions has destroyed the price of the raw material: the coca leaf.”
President Petro’s data
Nevertheless, the president lamented that the journalistic article does not mention that as a result of these actions, “the crop substitution program is a success in Catatumbo.”
He referred to the fact that in what were the areas of the former FARC’s Front 33, now in a peace process, thousands of hectares have already been eradicated in Tibu; nearly 10,000 peasant families are in the full process of substitution; and in areas under ELN control, families want to do so, but with the support of the army.
He also noted that the Public Force has already taken over Filo Gringo, “which was the heart of ELN’s drug trafficking activity, and we have begun substitution in El Tarra.”
The head of state also said that anyone who looks at the satellite map of Tibu — of coca leaf crops — can already see the changes: In the south of the country, the process is moving forward well in Nariño, and also with an advanced peace process.
And he highlighted “the change in Putumayo, (which) today has only 3,000 hectares substituted out of 15,000 agreed, (therefore) I assess the seriousness of the process with alias ‘Araña’; if what was agreed is not fulfilled, the process is not real.”
The president added in his message: “The action of my government, after the hectares planted doubled during the Duque government if one takes the figures of the National Police, and as a result new armed groups appeared, has produced a displacement of drug trafficking activity toward Ecuador, Peru, and the Amazon River, which must be struck with coordinated intelligence among these countries, a process that is already underway at the initiative of Brazil and Colombia.”
The presidential post concluded with a satellite map of coca leaf crops in Catatumbo, about which he said: “The green area is in full crop substitution with armed groups in a peace process. The red hatched area is the zone that peasants want to substitute, but ELN kills peasants who do so. The orange area is a population reluctant to do so.”
Este artículo de @semana es relativamente objetivo.
En efecto en Colombia la actividad narcotraficamte es cada vez más difícil.
El aumento de los cultivos en todo lo que lleva mi gobierno, apenas es de un 6% mientras la incautación aumentó en 150% respecto al anterior gobierno.… pic.twitter.com/K5EzKAJcEH
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 12, 2026
Controversy over Colombia’s anti-drug policy
However, these figures and conclusions have not been without controversy. International bodies such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have reported increases in coca leaf cultivation in recent years, a figure that Petro has questioned, citing methodological errors in the measurements and international rejection of certain interpretations of these data. In addition, some analysts note that an increase in seizures may simply reflect higher production, rather than a real weakening of criminal networks.
The debate in Colombia has also grown more strained due to conflicting views within the country. Opposition political sectors and security experts have criticized the fact that the official strategy has failed to reduce the violence associated with drug trafficking or to curb the growth of illicit economies in regions such as Catatumbo or the south of the country.
For them, the perception that the activity is “more difficult” may contrast with the experience of rural communities that continue to be hubs of drug production and transit, as well as with reports from international organizations that do not see a clear decline in violence related to these illicit economies.
The context of these statements is also shaped by international relations, especially with the United States. In recent months, there have been episodes of friction between Bogota and Washington, in which U.S. President Donald Trump has at times harshly criticized Petro, even suggesting that he could take more aggressive measures if he believes Colombia is not complying with the fight against drug trafficking. At certain points, this tension included the suspension of intelligence exchanges and strong statements from both leaders.
Nevertheless, recent diplomatic gestures, such as a call between Petro and Trump and the invitation of the Colombian president to the White House, have implied an attempt to de-escalate tensions and reorient bilateral cooperation on security and development. Despite the criticism, Colombia has reiterated its commitment to continue coordinating efforts with the United States to combat drug trafficking networks, leveraging shared technology and intelligence to dismantle laboratories and break up criminal organizations operating in border areas and transit routes.
Petro has also sought to frame the fight against drugs within a broader security policy vision that includes efforts to replace illicit crops through incentives for farmers and productive projects that offer legitimate economic alternatives. This approach, which goes beyond mere military or police action, is part of a more comprehensive proposal for peace and territorial development, although its results are still under evaluation.
Related: Colombian Defense Minister Visits US to Boost Anti-Drug Cooperation Ahead of Petro’s Trip.