President Donald Trump turned his attention to the nation of Colombia on Sunday, calling its president, Gustavo Petro, "an illegal drug leader," accusing him of "strongly encouraging the massive production of narcotics" that has now become that nation's biggest industry and then complaining that Petro "does nothing about it."
Since the Colombian drugs are largely coming to the United States and nearby nations, President Trump said Petro's actions are "nothing more than a long-term rip-off of America," so the large assistance payments being paid for many years to Colombia will stop.
"AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLUMBIA," he wrote on Truth Social.
His action is applauded by many in Washington, including former Drug Enforcement Administration Chief Ray Donovan, who says that even though many Americans aren't aware of it, Colombia is a major hub for drug cartels and for other kinds of trafficking.
"There's no question about it that Colombian cartels are absolutely impacting the United States directly," he says.
"But there are other cartels, like the FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), that have been designated as terrorist organizations going back many years," too.
The best thing about President Trump's recent actions in Central and South America is that his attention to their drug shipping and human trafficking has helped publicize the problems Colombia presents.
"It's elevated from clearly just a criminal issue to a national security issue," Donovan says, proving the Trump administration takes the issue much more seriously than previous presidents.