WASHINGTON 

President Donald Trump threatened his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro on Wednesday, telling him that "he's going to be next" as the US leader seeks the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

"He's been fairly hostile to the United States. I haven't given a lot of thought. He's gonna have himself some big problems if he doesn't wise up. Colombia is producing a lot of drugs," Trump said in response to a question on whether he plans to speak with Petro.

"They have cocaine factories that they make cocaine, as you know, and they sell it right into the United States. So he better wise up, or he'll be next. He'll be next soon. I hope he's listening. He's going to be next," he added.

Trump has for months sought Maduro's ouster and has repeatedly assailed Petro, whom he claims is an "illegal drug dealer."

Wednesday's comments mark the most explicit call from Trump for Petro to face US action unless he takes unspecified steps on Trump's allegations.

Petro has maintained that allegations of drug trafficking against his country are baseless, maintaining that his nation is being threatened despite the losses Colombians have suffered for years in the drug war.

Petro said Trump's actions in the regions are motivated by the desire to control oil supplies, rather than combatting the flow of illicit drugs.

“(Oil) is at the heart of the matter,” he said last Tuesday, adding that Trump is “not thinking about the democratization of Venezuela, let alone the narco-trafficking.”

Trump also confirmed that his administration seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, an action that is all but certain to exacerbate already dire tensions with Caracas.

The US has expanded military operations across Latin America in recent months, deploying Marines, warships, fighter jets, bombers, submarines and drones, saying the goal is to combat drug trafficking, targeting "narco-terrorist" organizations and their vessels.

The US has already carried out 22 known strikes on alleged "narco-terrorist" seaborne vessels, killing 87 people since the attacks began in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean in early September.

Petro has vocally opposed the US actions, which have found no shortage of critics at home as well, with lawmakers from both parties questioning their legality.