US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that an operation to curb drug trafficking “overland” in Venezuela would begin “very soon”.
The warning comes amid rising tensions with Caracas and the military increasing its activity in the Caribbean, part of what Washington says are efforts to curb international crime and drug trafficking.
However, Venezuela says the military buildup and the US anti-narcotics campaign are actually a covert effort to oust leftist leader Nicolas Maduro.
Washington views Maduro as an illegitimate ruler and accuses him of drug trafficking – charges the Venezuelan president rejects.
What did Trump say about Venezuela?
In a video call to US service members from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to celebrate Thanksgiving, Trump said the military operation meant “there are not too many”. [Venezuelan drug traffickers] Now coming by sea.”
“We’re almost stopped – it’s almost 85% stopped by the sea,” Trump said.
“And we will also start stopping them by land route. Land is easier, but this is going to start very soon,” he said.
Many of the military units Trump spoke to are directly involved in the counter-narcotics initiative known as “Southern Spear.”
What do we know about America’s anti-drug campaigns?
The US has attacked several boats in international waters in the Caribbean and Pacific, saying they were smuggling illegal narcotics into the country. It has not provided evidence to support the claims.
At least 83 people have been killed in those attacks, according to a count of publicly available figures by the AFP news agency.
The amassed US military firepower, which also includes an aircraft carrier strike group, far exceeds anything needed for anti-drug trafficking operations.
Edited by Carl Sexton