On September 20th, US President Trump issued a warning to the Maduro government of Venezuela, stating that they must accept all the prisoners and mentally ill individuals that Venezuela previously sent to the United States, or face immeasurable consequences.
President Trump made this statement on the Truth Social platform, emphasizing that these prisoners and patients have caused significant casualties in the United States and must be expelled immediately.
Trump wrote, “We demand that Venezuela immediately accept all prisoners, as well as individuals from mental institutions, including those forcibly sent to the ‘world’s worst mental hospital’ in the United States by the Venezuelan ‘leadership’. These ‘monsters’ have caused injuries and even deaths to thousands of people. Get them out of our country immediately, or you will face immeasurable consequences!”
In his statement, Trump did not specify the identities of the prisoners mentioned, only mentioning that some came from “mental hospitals”, and did not disclose the specific actions he might take. The international community continues to monitor the developments between the United States and Venezuela.
In September this year, the US military launched three deadly attacks on drug ships from Venezuela in the Caribbean, resulting in the deaths of at least 17 individuals. Trump pointed out that these ships were linked to Venezuelan drug cartels, criticized Maduro for tolerating drug smuggling, and stated that the US military will continue to take strong measures to safeguard national security.
In response to Trump’s aggressive anti-drug operations, Maduro was reported on Sunday that on September 6th, he sent a letter seeking a meeting with US Special Envoy Richard Grenell to ease tensions.
Four days before the letter was sent – on September 2nd, the US military attacked a drug-carrying speedboat in Venezuela for the first time, killing 11 individuals. Trump at the time stated that the speedboat was operated by the “Tren de Aragua” gang.
In the letter, Maduro invited Trump to engage in constructive dialogue and mutual understanding to promote peace throughout the Americas, while emphasizing the Venezuelan government’s willingness to directly communicate to solve any issues between the two governments.
Maduro spent a significant portion of the letter denying that Venezuela is a major source of drugs for the United States, claiming that most of Colombia’s cocaine is exported via the Pacific Ocean.
On Sunday, Trump refused to confirm whether he had received Maduro’s letter, stating to reporters, “We are watching the developments in Venezuela closely.”
Spokespersons for Special Envoy Grenell and the Venezuelan government declined to comment on the letter.
Currently, the US government accuses Maduro of being one of the world’s largest drug traffickers and has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
(This article referenced reports from Reuters, Bloomberg, and CNN)