State Department ‘aware’ of reports; OFAC sanctions from 2025 remain in effect
Alcocer posted the letter dated Tuesday to her verified X account on Wednesday, addressed to Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo and Deputy Attorney General Gilberto Javier Guerrero. In it, she said she had “once again approached the Attorney General’s Office to reiterate my willingness to cooperate with the justice system and request details about the proceedings announced publicly.” She asked prosecutors to specify whether Ferrer’s latest statements had prompted a separate investigation or whether the matter would be examined as part of an existing inquiry.
The allegations originated with Eva Ferrer, a former presidential adviser for childhood and reconciliation who had been a close friend of Alcocer, in an interview published Oct. 9 by Colombian magazine Semana. Ferrer alleged that Alcocer used official aircraft to transport drugs to Venezuela and that Alcocer returned to Colombia with approximately $2.5 million. Ferrer also made allegations involving weapons trafficking and people close to the former first lady.
Alcocer said in her letter that she traveled to Venezuela only twice while serving as first lady, both times on official visits. The first trip took place Jan. 31, 2023, as part of a government delegation, and the second on Nov. 18, 2023, when she accompanied then-President Gustavo Petro. “I made no other trips to that country, not even in a personal capacity,” she wrote.
Alcocer said government records, official schedules and publicly available video footage could verify the purpose of both visits and the people who accompanied her. She also said her legal team was gathering information with the assistance of forensic investigators to provide to Colombian authorities.
Alcocer added that Ferrer’s claims were based on information from other people rather than events Ferrer had witnessed herself. “I believe it is essential that the truth be established through evidence and not through hearsay,” she wrote.
In her letter, Alcocer acknowledged that the Attorney General’s Office had previously informed her of an inquiry handled by its Specialized Anti-Corruption Directorate. The new letter, she said, was intended to determine whether the latest allegations fall under that existing file or required a separate proceeding.
The U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports alleging Alcocer’s involvement, according to White House correspondent Juan Esteban Silva, who published the department’s response on X on Wednesday. The statement did not confirm the allegations or announce a new U.S. investigation.
A State Department spokesperson also referred to U.S. sanctions imposed on Alcocer on Oct. 24, 2025, under Executive Order 14059, which targets foreign individuals involved in international drug trafficking. The sanctions remain in effect, according to Silva’s account of the department’s response.
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Alcocer and Petro in October 2025. In its original announcement, Treasury said Alcocer had “provided or attempted to provide support to” Petro. The announcement did not specifically accuse her of transporting drugs or money on government aircraft.
Colombian authorities have not announced findings establishing whether the alleged flights took place.
Ferrer had been scheduled to testify before Colombian prosecutors Wednesday, following two earlier appointments she did not attend. Her attorney, Jhony Batalla, told Semana she would not appear because security arrangements had not been established. He said Ferrer was outside Colombia and that her legal team was seeking guarantees so she could testify and submit evidence.
Colombia’s Inspector General’s Office has separately ordered the collection of documents, testimony and technical evidence related to the allegations of improper use of government aircraft.