U.S. Military Conducts Second strike on Boat Allegedly Carrying Drugs from Venezuela
CARACAS, Venezuela – Teh U.S. military reportedly conducted a second strike targeting a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela, according to reports surfacing Monday. This follows an earlier military operation earlier this month against Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang designated by the U.S. as a terrorist institution.
The Trump governance has justified the actions as self-defense, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserting that drug cartels “pose an immediate threat” to the nation. Rubio reiterated the U.S. position that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is not the rightful leader of Venezuela, but rather heads a drug cartel, stating, “We’re not going to have a cartel, operating or masquerading as a government, operating in our own hemisphere.”
Maduro responded to the reported strikes during a press conference Monday, accusing the Trump administration of using drug trafficking accusations as a pretext for a military operation intended “to intimidate and seek regime change” in Venezuela. He also criticized a weekend incident involving 18 U.S. Marines raiding a Venezuelan fishing boat in the Caribbean, questioning the purpose of the operation and suggesting it was a purposeful attempt to provoke a military incident.
Details surrounding monday’s strike remain limited, and the Venezuelan government has not yet issued a formal response. U.S. officials have indicated that further military strikes targeting drug operations are anticipated, with the administration aiming to “wage war” on cartels.
The Associated press reported that the boat targeted in the first strike had turned around and was heading back to shore when it was struck. Rubio, though, stated he did not know if that account was accurate, adding, “What needs to start happening is some of these boats need to get blown up.We can’t live in a world where all of a sudden they do a U-turn, and so we can’t touch them anymore.”
The legality of the U.S. military actions has been questioned, with the Center for Rights Program stating, “There is absolutely no legal justification for this military strike.”
