BOGOTA, Colombia

Colombian President Gustavo Petro asserted Friday that he has been actively fighting the flow of drugs and would not "take a step back" after the US announced sanctions against him.

"Fighting drug trafficking for decades and doing so effectively brings this measure upon me from the government of the society that we help so much to stop their cocaine consumption," he wrote on US social media platform X.

"Quite a paradox, but not a step back and never on our knees," he added, stating that he would launch a legal appeal.

"My lawyer in my defense will be Dany Kovalik from the US," he added.

The sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department also targeted the leftist president's wife and one of his sons, in addition to his close confidant, Interior Minister Armando Benedetti.

The sanctions coincided with the US announcement of deploying an aircraft carrier and accompanying flotilla to join an existing fleet in Latin America dedicated to "countering narco-terrorism."

It marks the first time that a sitting president of Colombia has been subjected to sanctions.

US Secretary Scott Bessent claimed that "President Petro has allowed drug cartels to thrive and has refused to stop this activity."

He added that US President Donald Trump "is taking strong action to protect" his nation.