The United States President Donald Trump has said that US Navy forces deployed near Venezuela have destroyed a second vessel in international waters, allegedly smuggling drugs.
He said the attack was a part of his broader action plan against the cartels backed by the Venezuelan government, a charge that Maduro denies. In his Truth Social post, Trump shared a video of the strike on a boat, which he described as being used by “positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narco-terrorists.” Three people were killed, he said.
Trump warned the cartel mafia, saying, “Be warned, if you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you.” This is the second such operation where United States forces have carried out attacks on alleged drug boats near the Venezuelan waters.
Also Read: US warships head to Venezuela amid escalating tensions
Earlier, on September 2, Washington declared that its forces had targeted a similar vessel and killed 11 people. Though a week later, the Maduro government announced that those killed in the boat attack were civilians and they were not carrying any drugs with them, further raising the tensions between the two foes.
The US imposed sanctions on Venezuela during Trump’s first term and recently doubled its reward for information leading to President Nicolas Maduro’s arrest to $50 million. Maduro denounced the US military off Venezuela’s coast as part of a much broader conspiracy to topple his government.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said last week that the country was ready for a “prolonged war” if open conflict breaks out.
Also Read: Venezuela deploys 15,000 troops to Colombian border
Follow us
