Colombian police on Saturday arrested the son of the country's president as part of a money laundering probe.

The probe looks into whether Nicolas Petro, the son of President Gustavo Petro, raised funds from convicted drug traffickers during last year's presidential campaign.

The chief prosecutor's office said in a statement that Nicolas Petro and his ex-wife were taken into custody on orders of a court in Bogota around 6 a.m. local time (1100 GMT) Saturday.

"As an individual and father, it pains me to see so much self destruction and one of my sons going to jail," Petro wrote.

"As president of the republic, I've assured the chief prosecutor's office that it will have all of the guarantees so it can proceed according to the law."

Petro was elected president in June 2022, becoming the country's first leftist president. He pledged to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor and create a more equal society.

Before becoming a politician, he was part of an urban guerilla group. He served time in prison in the 1980s for his involvement with the group, the M19.

The US considers Colombia its most stable ally in the region.

Investigation began earlier this year

The investigation stems from declarations made by Nicolas Petro's former wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, to local media outlet, Semana, earlier this year.

In an extended interview, Vasquez detailed how she was present at meetings when her husband arranged a donation of more than 600 million pesos (around $150,000) from a politician who was once convicted in Washington of drug trafficking.

That politician was also seeking the Petro campaign's support to resume his political career.

She added that President Petro was unaware of his son's dealings and the money he collected in his campaign's name was kept inside a safe inside the couple's home in the coastal city of Barranquilla. 

Nicolas Petro has denied his ex-wife's claims as unfounded.

rm/jcg (Reuters, AP)