Venezuelan drug boat targeted by U.S. military action
In a dramatic turn of events, US President Donald Trump announced a strike on an alleged drug trafficking speedboat from Venezuela earlier this month, claiming it killed three people on board. The boat, carrying 11 individuals, was blown up by the US Navy, according to reports.
The move has sparked a wave of controversy, with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro vowing to resist Washington's "aggression" in response. Maduro has branded US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, known for his tough rhetoric on Latin American cartels, as the "lord of death and war."
Senator Rubio has defended the attack on the boat, which was traveling in international waters, amid questions over its legality. He stated that there is 100% certainty that the boat was involved in drug trafficking. The US government accuses Maduro of heading a cocaine trafficking cartel and has doubled its bounty for his capture to $50 million.
Trump insists the dead men were drug traffickers and claims to have proof. However, no specific names of individuals targeted by the US government for potential military attacks on drug boats in Venezuela have been found in the available information.
The Trump administration has faced questions over the legality of deadly military strikes on suspected drug boats since the first such attack earlier this month. The strikes have raised questions about whether they are within international law or effectively amount to extrajudicial killings.
In response to the US naval buildup and the boat attack, Maduro has deployed 25,000 troops to Venezuela's border with Colombia and along the Caribbean coast. Thousands of civilians have joined a militia intended as backup for the military in Venezuela. Caracas would "fully" exercise its "legitimate right to defend itself" in response to the US actions.
Tensions between the US and Venezuela reached new heights after Trump dispatched eight warships to waters near Venezuela to pressure Maduro. Maduro often accuses the US of attempting regime change in his nation. The situation remains volatile, with both nations locked in a bitter standoff.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
