The United States Army has expanded its military operations to the coast of Colombia, after operating for more than a month near Venezuela. An American official reported this Wednesday (22) that a first vessel that, according to Donald Trump’s government, was transporting drugs from South America, was hit in the eastern Pacific the night before.
The inaugural attack in this region signals that Washington is committed to closing one of the main entry points for drugs into the United States. A source consulted by New York Times said Tuesday’s operation killed two or three people on a boat off the coast of Colombia.
Since the beginning of September, American Special Operations forces have carried out at least eight such attacks, including this latest one. To date, the Trump administration has officially recognized seven attacks.
According to the White House, all the vessels affected in international waters had ties to drug cartels, which were designated by the State Department as terrorist organizations, which justifies the more aggressive action ordered by Trump. The American government understands that these attacks are in self-defense, in the name of National Security.
Official data reveals that most of the cocaine smuggled into the United States arrives through the Pacific.
US Army operations increase friction between Petro and Trump
The United States and Colombia have returned to disagreements in recent days, after Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized American actions in the Caribbean Sea.
Trump responded by calling the leftist a “drug lord” at the weekend, which escalated a crisis that began between the countries in February, when the Republican sent planes with deported illegal immigrants to return to the South American country, despite Petro’s initial refusal.
The Colombian president accused the United States of “murdering” Colombians who were on boats hit by the military on September 15 and October 3.
In the last of seven American attacks in the Caribbean, the United States Army accused three men of smuggling drugs for the Marxist guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN), designated as terrorists by Washington in 1997.
The Trump government’s military campaign, which began in September, has caused disruption at the top level of Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship in Venezuela in recent months. Now, with its expansion to the east of the Pacific, the diplomatic relationship between Colombia and the United States is likely to be even more affected.
