Leaked Audio Suggests Possible U.S. Role in Efforts to Build Drug Trafficking Case Against Colombia's Petro

A leaked audio recording reviewed by Spanish newspaper El País suggests a possible U.S. role in efforts to build a drug trafficking case against Colombian President Gustavo Petro, raising new questions about the origin of unproven allegations that have strained relations between Bogotá and Washington during the current Trump administration.

The seven-minute recording, which two senior sources familiar with Colombian intelligence consider credible, captures a conversation between a Colombian and an Ecuadorian discussing a plan to block the extradition of drug traffickers in exchange for testimony against Petro before U.S. authorities.

In the recording, one of the men says "they want to grab these guys and make them talk against Petro," referring to "los gringos."

The audio surfaced in January, shortly before Petro traveled to Washington for a meeting with President Donald Trump, where he sought to counter accusations linking him to narcotrafficking. According to a source involved in preparing the visit, materials had circulated that "sought to appear credible" and may have influenced perceptions in Washington. "If the president of the United States said something like that, it's because information reached him," the source said.

The recording describes what appears to be a broader, cross-border effort involving armed groups operating along the Colombia-Ecuador border, including factions of the ELN and Comandos de la Frontera, as El Pais reports. It also references attempts to withdraw Interpol red notices to facilitate negotiations that could produce statements implicating Petro.

While the audio does not establish direct involvement by U.S. authorities, Colombian officials say it has been shared with U.S. agencies and discussed in meetings between advisers to Petro and officials in the Trump administration. A third source said the material is also being examined by intelligence services in other countries.

Petro publicly alluded to the recording during a televised cabinet meeting in March, saying "there is a recording, which I think should be made public," without detailing its contents. According to sources, the audio has circulated within intelligence channels and forms part of the basis for the president's claims of a potential entrapment effort.

The revelations come amid sustained accusations against Petro from U.S. officials and political opponents, including claims that he bears responsibility for rising cocaine production. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned him in October 2025, and Trump has previously described him as a "drug leader."

Recent reporting by The New York Times indicated that U.S. prosecutors are examining possible links between Petro and drug traffickers, though officials from both countries have said he does not currently face criminal charges.