He United States Department of State spoke this Wednesday, October 14, on the scandal surrounding former first lady Verónica Alcocer, who was accused by Eva Ferrer of alleged transportation of drugs and money on flights from Venezuela.
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In statements shared with EL TIEMPO correspondent in Washington, a spokesperson for the Department indicated that they are “aware of the information that indicates that Verónica Alcocer García “used an official aircraft to transport narcotics to Venezuela and returned with 2.5 million dollars.”
In their statement, they mentioned that in October 2025 The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury designated Alcocer García on the list of sanctioned persons and they recalled that this is a measure that is “aimed at foreign people involved in the global trafficking of illicit drugs.”
Verónica Alcocer, former first lady. Photo:Account of X by Verónica Alcocer.
Finally, They concluded with a reference to the current relationship between Colombia and the United States, noting that the administration of President Donald Trump and Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella are “revitalizing the bilateral relationship” and “deepening the shared economic and security partnership.”
It is worth remembering that the inclusion of Alcocer on the OFAC list, also known as the Clinton list, It was known through the same statement in which Washington sanctioned former President Gustavo Petro in October of last year.
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According to the statement issued by the US Department of the Treasury, The former Colombian president was designated “for having participated, or attempted to participate, in activities or transactions who have contributed materially, or pose a significant risk of contributing materially, to the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production.” The measure was extended, according to the same source, to his associates and accomplices.
Former president Gustavo Petro Photo:Presidency
At the time, Washington described Alcocer as “first lady” and assured that “she was unconstitutionally designated by Gustavo Petro as ambassador ‘on special mission'”, a position that was later annulled by a Colombian court considering that it violated the norms established by the Constitution.
Eva Ferrer’s complaints against former first lady Verónica Alcocer
The scandal surrounding the former first lady began last weekend when Eva Ferrer, former advisor to Dapre and former right hand of Alcocer, gave an interview to the magazine Week in which he reported that the woman had allegedly made trips to Venezuela and that Money and drugs would have been transported on official planes.
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“The first thing I know, and what they let me know, is that they are going to Venezuela. Speaking later with Manel, he tells me that they are bringing 2.5 million dollars from that trip (…) It seems that there are photos of Verónica getting off the plane with gray suitcases in which there were drugs inside and there was movement of capital from there to here and from here to there,” he stated in dialogue with the aforementioned media.
Eva Ferrer. Photo:Private file.
Ferrer also accused Alcocer of leading a network, motivated by political and economic interests, who would have committed crimes such as corruption and influence peddling. He also pointed out alleged irregular handling of positions and contracts in the State.
According to the former advisor, Alcocer apparently had records in entities such as ProColombia, the ICBF, the Dapre subdirectorate, Ecopetrol or Banco Agrario.
Verónica Alcocer’s response after Eva Ferrer’s complaints
After the controversy, Alcocer broke his silence this Wednesday and announced that he filed a right of petition with the Attorney General’s Office. The request seeks to express its willingness to collaborate with the authorities, but also to request detailed information about the investigations underway following the complaints.
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In the document filed with the Prosecutor’s Office, Alcocer acknowledged that during the time she held the dignity of first lady, she traveled to Venezuela on two occasions, specifically on January 31, 2023 and November 18, 2023, and assured that both were official visits. In January, he said, he traveled as part of a “fully identifiable” delegation and in November he did so in the company of the then President of the Republic Gustavo Petro.
Veronica Alcocer. Photo:Nestor Gomez. THE TIME
“Both visits have institutional records, official agendas and accessible audiovisual material public, disclosed both in Colombia and Venezuela, which allows verification of the activities carried out and the people who participated in them,” he wrote.
And he added: “I have absolute peace of mind that the contrast of these documents and audiovisual records with the testimonies of those who participated in said visits pwill make it possible to distort the statements disclosed and demonstrate that I never participated in the conduct that has been attempted to be attributed to me.”
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*With reporting by Sergio Gómez, EL TIEMPO correspondent in Washington.
