GOP Florida Representative Accuses Petro of Being “Complict” with Drug Dealers Following Fatal U.S. Operation Against Venezuelan Vessel

Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez sharply criticized Colombian President Gustavo Petro, calling his response to a U.S. military strike in the Caribbean “an insult to Colombians,” and an evidence of “his complicity with drug cartels.”

The verbal clash follows Petro’s condemnation of the U.S. strike, which killed 11 people aboard a vessel linked to Venezuelan criminal groups.

The strike, ordered by President Donald Trump, targeted a vessel near Venezuelan waters that U.S. officials claimed was linked to drug traffickers. The White House released video of the attack and said the action was meant to send a clear warning to organized crime groups. Trump celebrated the operation as a victory in the fight against narcotics, calling it proof of a tougher approach under his second term.

Petro reacted with sharp criticism. On social media he called the incident murder if confirmed and stressed that those killed were not cartel bosses but very poor youths from Colombia’s Caribbean and Pacific regions who are often forced into low-level roles in drug transport. He said Colombia has captured thousands of such people over decades without resorting to lethal force. The remarks were consistent with his “Total Peace” plan, which aims to tackle the roots of violence through social policies and negotiations rather than military crackdowns.

Gimenez quickly fired back. The Cuban-born Republican who represents Florida’s 28th district said Petro’s words were misleading and insulting to Colombians. He argued that portraying the country’s youth as drug couriers disrespects hardworking Colombians and risks sending the wrong message about cooperation in the war on drugs. He also described the remarks as extremely serious and warned that they will not be taken lightly in Washington.

“Colombia’s@petrogustavo has just claimed that drug traffickers aren’t narcos, but rather just poor youths from the Caribbean & the Pacific. How OFFENSIVE & INSULTING to the hardworking people of #Colombia! Petro’s complicity with the cartels should shock nobody!”

The exchange comes against the backdrop of a rocky relationship between Petro and sectors of the U.S. Congress. In August Gimenez clashed with the Colombian leader after Petro questioned the existence of Venezuela’s so called Cartel de los Soles. At that time Gimenez declared on social media that Petro had “signed his own sentence” with his words.

The U.S. strike that killed 11 has stirred strong reactions across Latin America. Petro condemned the attack as a violation of human rights, while some Caribbean leaders expressed support for Washington’s show of force against traffickers. The Venezuelan government has questioned the authenticity of the footage released by Trump, calling it propaganda.

What began as a military operation against suspected traffickers has quickly become a political dispute spanning Bogotá, Washington and South Florida. With Petro doubling down on his social justice framing and Gimenez amplifying criticism in Congress, the fallout from the Caribbean strike is now feeding into a larger battle over how to confront organized crime and how to define Colombia’s role in the U.S. led drug war.