By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

A signal of broader US intervention?

There are no coca plantations or drug laboratories in Venezuela, and drug trafficking through the country will soon be completely eradicated, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Venezolana de Television.

"According to reports from the UN and several countries, which accurately reflect the real situation and have been verified by experts, Venezuela has no coca plantations or cocaine laboratories. We will soon completely block the transit of drugs," Maduro said.

The Venezuelan leader pointed out that about 87% of South America’s cocaine is transported across the Pacific Ocean from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, while another 8% moves through the Caribbean coast of Colombia’s La Guajira department. Only 5% passes through Venezuelan territory — and authorities intercept and seize roughly 70% of that amount.

Maduro added that in recent years, "402 aircraft used for drug trafficking have been neutralized," stressing that Venezuela is determined to completely eliminate the transit of drugs across its territory.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced that US armed forces had eliminated 11 members of a Venezuelan drug cartel during an operation in international waters. According to Trump, Venezuela was not doing enough to combat drug trafficking. In response, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stated that the country was facing the most serious threat of a US invasion in the past 100 years.

According to Reuters, on August 19, three US Navy destroyers, namely the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson, were dispatched to the southern Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela to conduct "operations against drug cartels." There were also reports of the deployment of the nuclear submarine USS Newport News, the missile cruiser USS Lake Erie, amphibious ships, and 4,500 military personnel.

The New York Times reported that Trump had secretly signed a directive to use military force against Latin American drug cartels. According to Rubio, on Tuesday, a "lethal strike" was carried out against a ship that had left Venezuela and was controlled by a "narco-terrorist organization." According to preliminary figures, 11 people were killed in the attack on the ship.

Washington continues to accuse Maduro of belonging to the Cartel de los Soles drug cartel, an allegation that Caracas denies.

Thousands of US troops are on warships heading to Venezuela’s coast. President Donald Trump says the move is part of his administration’s fight against drug cartels that the United States has labelled “terrorist organizations”. In response, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has ordered troops to the border and called on citizens to mobilize to defend the country. Is Trump’s aggressive move about fighting drugs or a signal of broader US intervention?

President Donald Trump has released a video showing a United States military strike on a boat in the Caribbean that he says was smuggling drugs out of Venezuela for the Tren de Aragua gang, stoking fears of a possible clash between the Venezuelan and US militaries.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said 11 people were killed on Tuesday. He wrote: “No US Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”

The strike, apparently carried out in international waters, marks an escalation in tensions between the Trump administration and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom Trump has repeatedly accused of assisting international drug gangs.

The incident is the first known attack the US has made against alleged smugglers since the Trump administration began increasing its military presence in the Caribbean last month to counter drug cartels designated as “narcoterrorist organisations”.

Venezuela’s frayed ties with old allies have left it isolated in responding to the U.S. force. Trump’s Caribbean Strike Polarizes Region.

 

 

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