On Thursday, October 23rd, President Trump announced that the United States would expand its efforts to combat international drug cartels. He also briefed Congress on the enhanced measures, which may soon extend to operations on land.
“I don’t think we’re going to have to declare war,” Trump told the media at the White House. “I think we just go and get them, right? We get them out. We solve the problem.”
Trump mentioned that currently, drugs are coming in through land routes, indicating that land operations would be the next target in the anti-drug campaign. These remarks align with his recent statements in the past weeks.
He emphasized that his team has full legal authority to destroy suspected drug-carrying vessels at sea without the need for a formal declaration of war. Trump also reiterated that if a decision is made to carry out ground operations in Venezuela, Congress would likely be notified in advance.
“We have the power to do that; if it goes to land, we’ll be back to Congress to explain,” Trump said.
During a speech on October 15th with FBI Director Patel, Trump hinted at the possibility of conducting land operations. He stated, “A lot of drugs are coming in from Venezuela, a lot of it’s coming in through the waters, but we’re stopping them on the land, too.”
The U.S. military has targeted and attacked drug trafficking vessels allegedly operated by cartels in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific. In a series of military operations, the U.S. destroyed 9 vessels, including sinking a submersible on October 16th, resulting in approximately 37 deaths.
The Pentagon stated that these targets are linked to drug terror organizations operating near the Venezuelan coast.
Last week, Reuters reported that two suspected drug traffickers survived U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean Sea and were subsequently repatriated to their home countries, Colombia and Ecuador.
Secretary of Defense Hegseth remarked that the decision to repatriate them aligns with the battlefield customs observed during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
During a joint press conference with Trump on Thursday, Hegseth stated, “In past conflicts, we’ve captured thousands on the battlefield, 99% were handed over to local authorities. Are we always happy with the outcomes? Not necessarily. But it’s customary, and this situation is no different.”
Venezuelan President Maduro, in a live broadcast from the capital on October 22nd, warned that any U.S. invasion would trigger a nationwide backlash.
“If the U.S. intervenes in our country, the working class will rise up and launch a nationwide strike and uprising on the streets until they regain power,” Maduro said.
The U.S. government has accused Maduro of running drug operations within the country, a charge he denies.