Colombian ELN denies connection to drug-laden ship destroyed by the United States

(Patria) - Rebels of the Colombian National Liberation Army (ELN) have denied any connection to the drug-laden ship destroyed by the United States in the Caribbean, Reuters reported.

"The National Liberation Army does not have and will not have any ship linked to drug trafficking activities, neither in the Caribbean nor in any other ocean, simply because it is prohibited" by the group's rules, the ELN stated in a statement on Monday, published on social networks on Tuesday.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed over the weekend that the ship destroyed by US forces in the Caribbean on Friday belonged to the ELN, although Colombian President Gustavo Petro said it belonged to a "humble family".

Petro opposed US military attacks on ships in the Caribbean, which killed dozens of people and fueled tensions in the region. Many legal experts and human rights activists have also condemned it.

In response, Trump, without evidence, accused Petro of being an "illegal drug lord" and threatened higher tariffs on Colombia and the reduction of all US aid to the country.