The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, questioned U.S. President Donald Trump over the arrest and whereabouts of Beto Coral, son of Captain Humberto Coral Caballero, the Colombian police officer who pursued Pablo Escobar. "The president of the Republic of Colombia demands that the president of the United States tell the people of Colombia where Alberto Coral is, the son of the Colombian police officer who discovered the whereabouts of the world's biggest cocaine trafficker, Pablo Escobar." This was announced by Gustavo Petro on Saturday, June 20, in a post on X. After the arrest of activist Beto Coral on June 17 was revealed, President Gustavo Petro accused Donald Trump of using the detention as a strategy to interfere in Colombia's elections. Petro criticized the use of the drug trafficking narrative in Latin America for political purposes, while reaffirming his government's commitment to the fight against organized crime. "Let them tell us if we are truly partners in the fight against drug trafficking, or if they only see us as an inferior people to be used, beaten, and economically and politically tortured in the U.S.," reads another part of the post. Petro claims Beto Coral's arrest is linked to support for Abelardo de la Espriella In another post, Gustavo Petro claimed that the arrest of Beto Coral in the United States was suggested by far-right lawyer and presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella to Senator Marco Rubio. Notably, De la Espriella has political support from both Rubio and former President Donald Trump. The Colombian president described the presidential candidate from the 'Defensores de la patria' party as a "defender of genocidal narco-paramilitaries", and accused him of killing the father of Iván Cepeda—Espriella's rival at the polls—Manuel Cepeda, in 1994. According to President Petro, Beto Coral came to the United States as part of the asylum program after being pursued for years by Colombian criminal groups, and he called on leaders and organizations worldwide to pressure President Trump for his release. "Alberto Coral requested asylum in the U.S. because drug trafficking mafias could have killed him ten years ago, and the anti-immigrant stance in South America has not even allowed for his authorization," the post states. Who is Beto Coral? Franklin Humberto "Beto" Coral arrived in the United States in December 2015, first on a tourist visa, and later applied for asylum due to death threats in his home country. On Tuesday, June 17, Beto Coral was arrested by U.S. authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, while walking with his son and dog near his home, according to the Colombian Embassy in Washington. Coral is a well-known figure in Colombia as a staunch supporter of Gustavo Petro. The reasons for his detention remain unknown. However, there is a possibility that he could be deported. Urgent: Radical left-wing activist Beto Coral is arrested in the U.S. The Colombian radical left-wing activist Beto Coral said just minutes ago that ICE immigration agents were arresting him in Arizona, in a procedure that, according to his complaint, would have… pic.twitter.com/0zp60yjBCQ — Decko. (@Frankzm) June 17, 2026 According to Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell, Franklin Humberto called him to inform him of his arrest; one of the agents involved in the operation told Coral that his detention was ordered by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Marco Rubio. Republican Senator from Ohio, Bernie Moreno, said that Beto Coral's activism in the United States was undermining U.S. foreign policy. Coral organized several protests against presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella in the United States. Gustavo Petro said the left-wing Colombian activist is currently detained in a Florida jail. The detention of Beto Coral in the United States has sparked intense debate ahead of Colombia's presidential runoff election, which will take place this Sunday, June 21.