WASHINGTON–President of the United States, donald trump, He declared that he had already decided what to do next. his government actions It asserted that “progress” had been made in relation to drug trafficking in Venezuela and the Caribbean, but could not provide further details at this time.
“I can’t say what it is, but we did lots of progress “We will cooperate with Venezuela in preventing the flow of drugs,” the president said on Friday night, declaring: “In a sense, already “I’ve made a decision.” on future actions in relations with Venezuela, according to a statement aboard Air Force One, cited by Bloomberg.
This statement came after the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro He appealed to the American people.Stop the crazy hands of those who order war in the Caribbean.” It took place within the framework of an operation that Washington launched in the region claiming to fight drug trafficking and heightened tensions between the two countries.
In this regard, the White House chief, who considers President Maduro an “illegitimate” leader and “the head of a drug trafficking network,” approved the start of the operation on Thursday. “Southern Spear” The attack against narco-terrorists was carried out just one day after the aircraft carrier was dispatched, within the framework of attacks in the Pacific and Caribbean that have so far resulted in more than 70 deaths.
Until now, President Trump’s objectives in Venezuela have been unclear. President Trump has spoken publicly about the war on drugs. President Trump and his advisers have been discussing the future of Venezuelan oil with President Maduro. However, the ultimate purpose of the pressure on Caracas remains undefined.
new york times President Trump reportedly canceled the meeting. President Maduro’s proposal to give the United States rights to nearly all of the country’s oil reserveswithout resorting to military action. However, the White House says negotiations are not completely dead.
The lack of clarity has led many to speculate that: Trump aims for regime change But Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear to Congressional leaders that the goal was not to overthrow Venezuela’s leader.
According to reports from European officials, the United States explained: They want to increase tensions to see how President Maduro will react. In the hope that he would either leave the country or be captured and prosecuted by the United States.
Experts are skeptical about the war on drugs. In justifying military strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels last month, President Trump said the long-standing strategy of intercepting these vessels on the high seas had completely failed. “We’ve been doing that for 30 years and it’s never worked.” he pointed out.
But President Trump’s comments coincided with the U.S. Coast Guard’s announcement that it set a record for cocaine seizures in 2024. 225 tons. But that milestone did not deter Republican leaders from fundamentally reversing decades of U.S. anti-drug policy.
Drug war veterans say U.S. resources could be put to better use If traditional drug container blocking approaches are strengthened, Rather than destroying them, especially in the long run.
That is, the ship’s crew “Narco Lancias” They often possess valuable information that helps authorities more effectively attack cartels and drug trafficking networks. And as the saying goes: “The dead don’t speak.”
The Coast Guard has been fighting drug trafficking for years. For decades, they have been seizing small boats suspected of drug trafficking. Much of their work focuses on interdicting shipments of cocaine, most of which is produced in the Colombian jungles.
In cooperation with allies and other federal agencies (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of State, Department of Justice, and Southern Command), its objectives are: cause heavy losses to drug traffickers and limit the amount of drugs entering the United States.
This campaign I have never been so successful, but Despite constant complaints from the Coast Guard that it lacks the funds to seize more drugs.
In almost all cases, drug traffickers are brought to the United States for criminal prosecution. Valuable information such as smuggling routes and manufacturing methods has been collected. It’s always changing, there’s no loss of life, and the cost to Washington is much lower.
Experts say each missile attack could: much more expensive more than the cargo of cocaine carried on each ship.
AP and ANSA agencies
About The Author
