U.S. President Donald Trump released a video showing the attack on a vessel allegedly transporting narcotics from Venezuela.
PUBLICIDAD
Through “Truth Social,” the social network owned by the U.S. president, he shared the footage of the strike along with a message claiming the vessel was in international waters at the time of the attack. He also once again accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of being the leader of a supposed drug-trafficking organization.
PUBLICIDAD
“Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere,” Trump wrote.
The U.S. president then added: “The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. 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 operation was backed on social media by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stated the vessel was “being operated by a narco-terrorist organization” sanctioned by Washington.
Maduro Denounces U.S. Military Presence
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro denounced on Monday, before the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the presence of up to eight U.S. warships and a nuclear submarine in Caribbean waters near Venezuela, which he claimed were “aimed at Venezuela.”
“Eight warships, 1,200 missiles and a nuclear submarine are aimed at Venezuela. This constitutes the greatest threat Latin America has faced in its history,” Maduro declared during the emergency virtual summit chaired by Colombia in response to the U.S. military deployment.
The Venezuelan leader described these actions as “an extravagant, immoral, unjust, and absolutely criminal and bloody threat” and emphasized: “Faced with maximum pressure, maximum preparation.”
Maduro held Secretary of State Marco Rubio responsible, dismissing him as part of the “Miami mafia,” and accused him of attempting to “stain Trump’s last name with blood.” He added: “He wants to fill his hands with blood, Caribbean and Latin American blood. To threaten Venezuela is to threaten the entire continent.”