Washington [US], October 7: The US leader announced another attack on an alleged drug ship off the coast of Venezuela and considered action on land.
"Successful" campaign
Speaking to thousands of US military personnel at Norfolk base (Virginia state) on October 5, President Donald Trump said the military the night before had destroyed a ship believed to be carrying drugs near Venezuela.
According to AFP, US forces have so far sunk at least four ships, with the latest incident announced by the Pentagon on October 3, and killed at least 21 people. Previously, Mr. Trump declared that the US was in an "armed conflict" against drug gangs considered "terrorist" such as the Tren de Aragua from Venezuela. The United Nations has condemned attacks in international waters and said that criminal acts should be prevented but investigated and prosecuted according to law.
President Trump claimed that the offensive was so successful that there were no ships left in the Caribbean . He even hinted at plans to expand the operation to land. "They're not coming by sea anymore, so now we're going to have to start looking at land because they're going to have to go by land," Trump warned. In April, Trump asked Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to allow US troops to fight drugs on Mexican soil, but was rebuffed.
New escalation?
According to Newsweek magazine , the US military is increasing its presence around Venezuela with at least nine warships in the Caribbean region and thousands of Marines. In addition, a nuclear-powered submarine carrying cruise missiles is also on standby nearby while advanced F-35 stealth fighters are being brought to Puerto Rico.
Venezuela has accused the US of waging an undeclared war against the country and has increased its defense exercises in recent weeks. Shortly after Trump's announcement on October 5, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro posted a critical message on social media, affirming that he "will never be afraid to defend the right to life and liberty" and "will be ready to face any situation." Previously, Mr. Maduro said he could declare a state of emergency in case of attack. If activated, this would give the leader special powers over security and defense issues.
Some analysts say a US attack on Venezuelan territory, even if it is aimed at drug cartels, would be a major escalation and could spark a direct military conflict between the two countries. While US forces in the region are more than capable of attacking drug cartels, they are considered insufficient for a conflict with Venezuela.
International security expert Robert Muggah, co-founder of the independent research institute Instituto Igarape (Brazil), said that the US campaign in the near future will still be to increase pressure, demonstrate military power, embargo to weaken Venezuela and strike selectively to avoid being dragged into a chaotic conflict or causing a global oil shock. However, a stronger action may be considered if there is a fatal incident at sea involving US military personnel.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
