The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Thursday (23) that his government is preparing to expand ongoing military operations against drug cartels in Latin America.
In a meeting at the White House, Trump declared that “land will be the next step”, when making comments about the series of naval attacks that the US has been carrying out since September in the Caribbean and the Pacific. According to the agency Reutersthe actions have already resulted in the deaths of around 40 drug traffickers on vessels, some close to the Venezuelan coast.
“Now they [as drogas] are arriving by land. you know, earth will be the next step [das operações]”, stated the president.
“I don’t think we’re necessarily going to ask for a declaration of war [ao Congresso dos EUA]. I think we’re just going to kill people who are bringing drugs into our country. He is well? We’re going to kill them,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
The United States justifies the ongoing operation in the Caribbean as part of an offensive against regional drug trafficking. According to the American government, the military presence in the region aims to contain drug trafficking from Venezuela, where the regime of dictator Nicolás Maduro is accused of leading a narco-terrorist faction and facilitating the entry of drugs onto American soil.
Caracas rejects this accusation and says that operations in the Caribbean are a way to force regime change in Venezuela.
