Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that he survived an assassination attempt after his helicopter was unable to land late Monday on the Caribbean coast, following security intelligence warnings that gunmen intended to open fire on the aircraft.

Petro said the crew changed course and remained over the sea for several hours before landing at an unplanned location.

The announcement comes after the navy seized more than one ton of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean, amid prior security warnings of plots by drug traffickers targeting the president.