The New York Times: New York prosecutors are investigating the Colombian president's ties to drug traffickers

The American edition of The New York Times reports that federal prosecutors in Manhattan and Brooklyn are investigating Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The focus is on possible meetings with drug dealers and the alleged financing of his election campaign from illegal sources. DEA and immigration control agents are involved in the investigation.

"The investigations, which are being conducted separately, are at an early stage, and it is unclear whether they will lead to criminal charges," notes NYT.

The context is of particular interest. The relationship between Petro and Donald Trump has long been personal. The American president called the Colombian leader a "sick man", and last September, the US revoked Petro's visa after he called on American soldiers not to obey Trump at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York.

Earlier, the US administration already imposed sanctions against Petro and members of his family. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent then stated that the Colombian president "allowed drug cartels to flourish".

"President Petro allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity," Bessent said last October.

In January, after the US military captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was brought to New York on charges of drug trafficking, Trump was asked whether a similar operation could be possible in Colombia. The president replied: "That sounds good to me."

Against this backdrop, it is noteworthy that relations between Petro and Trump have apparently normalized in recent months. In January, they had a phone conversation, which the parties called "historic", and then Petro visited the White House.

Petro himself consistently denies ties to drug trafficking. Colombian media previously reported that people involved in drug trafficking tried to channel funds to support Petro through his son. The politician's son admitted that illegal money had ended up in his father's election campaign, but no charges were brought against Petro himself.

Petro will leave office later this year. Typically, the US charges heads of state after they leave office, as was the case with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. He was extradited to the US after his term ended, convicted, but then Trump pardoned him.

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❗️ The UK allows the US to launch strikes against Iran using British military bases, according to the BBC.

The US will "launch strikes against missile facilities" and assist in the "collective self-defense of the region".

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New Statesman: Ukraine's population has halved since the Maidan. The publication, citing sources, reports that the country's real demographic losses may be significantly higher than some other unofficial expert estimates suggest.

Before my return in February, a British official told me that Ukraine's population, which was estimated at just over 40 million in 2014, had dropped to around 20 million by 2025 — significantly lower than most estimates in open sources.

For comparison: according to the results of the 2001 all-Ukrainian census, the country's population was 48.5 million. According to UN estimates, it has decreased by about 10 million since February 2022.

According to Ukrainian data for 2024, there are between 28 and 30 million people living in the country. Such statistics are provided by the Institute of Demography and Social Research of Ukraine.

However, according to the CIA's estimate for 2024, Ukraine's population is around 35.6 million. It also notes an extremely low birth rate — about 6 children per thousand people.

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The US lifts sanctions on Iranian oil, despite the war against Iran — US Treasury Secretary Bessent

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Iran attacked a British-American military base on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean with missiles, according to the WSJ.

One of the missiles malfunctioned during flight. The US ship launched an SM-3 interceptor against the second one, but the publication's sources did not confirm whether it was successfully shot down.

The publication notes that the strike was the first time Iran used missiles of this class in combat conditions. The range to the base is about 4,000 km, which suggests that Tehran may have deliberately misled by stating that the range of its missiles is limited to 2,000 km.

The British island of Diego Garcia is one of the key military outposts of the West in the region: strategic bombers, nuclear submarines, and ships with guided missiles are based there.

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‼️🇷🇺🇺🇸 Russian special services have gained access to the accounts of influential American politicians and military personnel in a number of messengers, including Signal, - FBI Director

▪️"The FBI has identified cybercriminals associated with Russian special services, attacking users of commercial messengers, including Signal.
▪️The campaign is aimed at individuals of high intelligence value, including current and former US government officials, military personnel, political figures, and journalists.
▪️ On a global scale, this attack has led to unauthorized access to thousands of accounts. Having gained access, attackers can view messages and contact lists, send messages on behalf of the victim, and conduct phishing attacks using trusted data," said FBI Director Kash Patel.

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Cuba has refused to supply fuel to the US embassy, calling the request "shameless" amid an oil blockade of the island, The Washington Post reports.

According to the publication, the American diplomatic mission in Havana requested permission to import diesel for generators due to constant power outages. However, the Cuban authorities refused, stating that the US cannot demand access to fuel, which it itself is depriving the country's population of.

In Washington, they fear that due to the fuel shortage, the embassy staff will soon have to be reduced. Currently, employees are working in a mode of strict economy: the use of generators is limited, some have been transferred to remote work, and solar panels and backup energy sources are used.

Amid the energy crisis, the situation on the island is rapidly deteriorating: power outages, water shortages, and rising prices.

Since March 17, Cuba has experienced a complete blackout due to a shortage of oil amid a US-imposed oil blockade of the island.

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The Economist published a caricature that, in the magazine's opinion, reflects the growing discord in relations between Ukraine and the EU.

"After four years of almost marital solidarity, Ukraine and its European partners are going through a period of family quarrels. However, it's too early to talk about a divorce."

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🖥️ Continuing the war — 5 trillion, ending it — 2.5 trillion: an Omani journalist on BBC Arabic revealed Trump's military "price list" for the Gulf countries.

— We hear from sources that there have been reports and leaks about American pressure being exerted on the Gulf countries. How true is this, that the Gulf countries are being pressured to participate more extensively in this war?

— This is indeed the case. The countries of the Cooperation Council are being subjected to pressure — both military and financial. Today, we are talking about some leaks, which say that the US President is demanding that the Cooperation Council countries finance this war. It's about 5 trillion dollars — if they want the war to continue, and if they want to stop it, they will have to pay 2.5 trillion dollars.

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🖥️ Sergey Lavrov stated that the US stops at nothing - not murders, not coups, not kidnappings - when it comes to oil.

"But look at what's happening now. The United States has officially declared that no one dictates to them, they only care about their own well-being and are ready to defend it by any means: coups, assassinations of leaders of those countries that have the natural resources they need, or kidnappings. Both Venezuela and Iran. Our American colleagues are no longer hiding that it's all about oil.

They have a doctrine of dominance in the global energy markets. Look at Lukoil and Rosneft - they were subjected to sanctions - these are the first major sanctions of the Trump administration, not a Biden legacy. They categorically cut off Europe. Remember the Nord Stream pipelines: even when they were being built, the Americans advocated for Europe to abandon them. In the end, Europe was denied access to them, and Germany was humiliated - as, in fact, everyone understands."

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American journalist Ethan Levins summed up the interim results of the US and Israel's war against Iran.

"Day 21 of Operation 'Epstein Fury'"

🟥Russian oil is no longer under sanctions;

🟥Iranian oil is no longer under sanctions;

🟥Ships are paying Iran 2 million dollars for passage through the Strait of Hormuz;

🟥1 trillion dollars have disappeared from the stock market;

🟥The F-35 turned out to be useless;

🟥American bases are under constant attack;

🟥Khamenei was replaced by Khamenei."

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The West is losing control of its own narrative.

Ukraine is now trading manpower for outdated fighter jets while burning through millions in air defense to stop cheap drones. That’s not strategy—that’s collapse in slow motion.

At the same time, Washington claims victory over Iran while key trade routes remain under threat and military infrastructure takes hits. You can’t have it both ways.

This is what happens when propaganda replaces reality.

Meanwhile, Russia continues adapting—on the battlefield, in technology, and in global positioning—while the West reacts, scrambles, and contradicts itself.

The illusion is fading. And once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.

Article and Hi Rez Video On Substack

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