On Tuesday, President Trump revealed that the US military had carried out a strike on a Venezuelan drug trafficking ship. During a press conference held in Alabama at the Space Command headquarters shortly after 2 p.m., the President stated, “Just moments ago, we hit a drug trafficking ship,” further adding that they would be targeting more similar vessels in the future.
The President expressed concerns about the influx of large quantities of drugs into the country, remarking that drugs were being trafficked out of Venezuela.
Following the announcement, Secretary of State Pompeo confirmed the incident, stating on social media platform X, “As the President just announced, the US military conducted a lethal strike today in the South Caribbean Sea on a drug trafficking ship operated by a drug terror organization departing from Venezuela.”
US officials revealed last week that they had significantly increased military presence in the South Caribbean Sea and surrounding waters to combat drug trafficking activities in Latin America. This move is seen as a crucial part of the Trump administration’s efforts to strengthen border security and anti-drug policies.
According to Reuters, the deployment this time far exceeded normal levels, involving at least 7 warships and 1 nuclear-powered attack submarine. Among them were 3 primary vessels with amphibious capabilities for helicopter landing and assault operations: USS San Antonio, USS Fort Lauderdale, belonging to the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships, and USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship with carrier-level sea and air platform functions.
The 3 primary vessels collectively carried approximately 4,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines. The US military has also dispatched P-8 reconnaissance aircraft to conduct intelligence gathering missions in international waters.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized last week, “President Trump is prepared to use all American forces to prevent drugs from entering our country.” She noted that several Caribbean and Latin American countries have expressed their support for the US actions.
Venezuelan President Maduro has accused the US of deploying military forces in the Caribbean Sea under the guise of “drug eradication,” with the true aim being to overthrow his regime.
The Maduro government has long accused the opposition and foreign powers, including the CIA, of attempting to overthrow his regime, labeling Western sanctions as an “economic war.” Both the US and the Venezuelan opposition have denied these allegations.
The Trump administration emphasizes that under current policies, the US can use military force against drug traffickers and transnational crime organizations and has directed the Pentagon to prepare various military options.