“We will begin launching ground raids, which are much easier because the U.S. knows the routes they use. We know exactly where the bad actors live, and we will start very soon,” Trump said on December 2 when asked about recent U.S. attacks targeting suspected drug-smuggling boats at sea.
Trump added that Washington could target any country sending narcotics into the United States, mentioning both Venezuela and Colombia. “Anyone doing that — selling drugs into our country — can be attacked, not just Venezuela,” he said. “I’ve heard that Colombia is producing cocaine, running factories, and selling it to us.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro later responded, saying Bogotá destroys a drug-processing lab “every 40 minutes” without needing missiles. He invited Trump to join Colombia’s anti-narcotics operations but issued a warning as well: “Do not threaten our sovereignty unless you want to awaken the jaguar. Attacking Colombia’s sovereignty means declaring war,” he wrote on X.
The U.S. has carried out a series of strikes on suspected drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific in recent months, killing dozens with missile attacks. Washington maintains a large military presence in the Caribbean to support the campaign, heightening tensions with Venezuela, which borders Colombia. President Nicolás Maduro has accused the U.S. of using the military buildup as a signal of an intent to pursue regime change in Venezuela.
Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of ground assaults in recent months. In October, he said “the next step will be on land.” In November, he declared he would be “proud” to expand the anti-drug campaign to include ground operations in Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico.