Colombian President Gustavo Petro has alleged that drug traffickers have obtained two missiles with the intent of shooting down his plane, linking the threat to his administration's aggressive efforts to combat the narcotics trade. Speaking at the appointment ceremony of the new national police chief, Petro stated that authorities are aware of those involved but refrained from naming any specific group.
"You know that they want to shoot a missile at my plane, which the drug traffickers bought and have stored. Not one, but two missiles," he said. "We know who they are, but we have to act," then added.
This comes as Colombia's security forces reported a record seizure of 883.8 metric tons of cocaine in 2024, surpassing the previous year's total. The drug trade, alongside illegal gold mining, remains a key driver of the country's long-running armed conflict, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. For now, it remains to be seen how authorities will respond to this claim.