U.S.โ Navy Destroys โขSuspectedโ Drug Submarine Off Colombia Coastโฃ Amidst trump’s Accusations Against โขPresident Petro
BOGOTร, Colombia – The U.S. Navy intercepted and destroyed a suspected drug submarineโข in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia, according to a statementโ released โคby U.S.Southern โCommand on โFebruaryโข 29, โค2024.โฃ This action occurred as โขformer President Donald Trumpโข publicly and withoutโฃ evidenceโฃ labeled โColombian Presidentโค Gustavo Petro a “drug dealer,” escalating tensions โฃbetween the two countries andโ reviving a long historyโฃ of U.S. intervention inโ Latin America.
The incidentโ underscoresโ a pattern of U.S. military and lawโ enforcement activityโข in the โฃregion, often framed as part of the “war on drugs,” โbut โviewed โby many in Latin america as a continuation of โdecades of imperialist meddling. Asโฃ the monroe Doctrine of 1823, the U.S. has โbeen involved in โขover 100 attacks, invasions, occupations,โฃ and โฃinterventionsโค throughoutโฃ Latin America. This latest event,coupled with trump’s unsubstantiated claims,raises โขconcerns about potential further escalation and the โfuture of U.S.-Colombia relations.
According to U.S.โ Southern Command, โtheโ submarine was detected โduring a routine patrol by a U.S. Navy ship. After intercepting the vessel,the crew determined it was carrying a substantial amount of narcotics and destroyed it,preventing the drugs from reaching the United States. The exact quantity and type ofโค drugs have not been disclosed.
Trump’s accusations against โฃPresident Petro were made during a rally in south Carolina on February 24, 2024.He alleged, without providingโข any supporting evidence, that Petro is involved in the drug trade. These claims were widely condemnedโฃ by โฃColombianโ officials and international observers. President Petro has consistently advocated for a shift away from โcustomary U.S. drug โขpolicies, favoring a โfocus on harm reduction and addressing โคthe root causes of drug trafficking.
Venezuela, another nation frequentlyโข targeted by U.S. intervention, has also experienced overโค aโข century of Washington’s involvement in its โinternal affairs.โข Currently, a U.S. naval fleetโ is positioned off โthe Venezuelan coast, fuelingโค anxieties aboutโค potential regime โchange โขefforts. The combination of โmilitaryโข deployments and inflammatory rhetoric from figures like Trump โฃadds โฃto a โฃvolatileโข situation in the region, raising the specter โof further conflict.