US President Donald Trump, said on Friday (12) that American forces would begin carrying out ground attacks against drug traffickers, following what he described as an “unprecedented success” in intercepting narcotics shipments by sea.
Trump repeated the rhetoric for the second day in a row during a speech in the Oval Office of the White House.
The American president stated that the United States now intercepts 96% of drugs entering the country and warned that “people who bring drugs into our country are targets.”
On Thursday (11), the leader delivered a similar message, stating that shipping by sea had decreased by 92%, compared to the 96% cited on Friday.
The seizure of the Skipper oil tanker by the US off the coast of on Wednesday marked the first oil cargo capture Venezuelan by the US since the imposition of sanctions in 2019.
US military offensive
The US military presence in the Caribbean increased after Trump, In recent weeks, it has discussed possible military intervention in Venezuelabased on accusations that the country sends narcotics to the United States.
The government Venezuelan denied the accusations.
There have been more than 20 U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific on suspected drug-trafficking vessels so far this year, in which nearly 90 people have been killed, alarming human rights advocates and sparking debate among U.S. lawmakers.
Although many Republicans supported the campaign, Democrats questioned its illegality and demanded more transparency, including the release of a full, uncut video of the raids against a suspected drug trafficking vessel.
