President Donald Trump announced on Monday that United States military forces carried out a second attack in less than two weeks against Venezuelan drug traffickers in international waters.
According to Trump, the operation resulted in the deaths of three individuals whom he described as "confirmed male terrorists," and he stated that "large bags of cocaine and fentanyl were scattered throughout the ocean."
The president posted on Truth Social that the drug traffickers were transporting drugs to the United States and described the substances as "deadly weapons that are poisoning Americans." He asserted that these violent cartels pose a threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
Trump also shared a video of the attack, in which a small boat can be seen stopped in rough waters that bursts into flames after being hit by a U.S. missile.
In a press conference in the Oval Office, Trump warned that future attacks could also target Mexican cartels that traffic drugs by land. He defended the operation by saying that the evidence was conclusive and that the deceased were clearly identified as drug traffickers.
"We have recorded evidence, we know when they left, what they were carrying, everything," the president explained, adding ironically that now "there are no boats in the ocean," referring to the deterrent effect of the attacks. "If I were a fisherman, I'd be worried. They might think I'm carrying hidden drugs," he added.
Trump emphasized that, although maritime routes appear to have decreased, drugs are still entering by land, and he warned that his administration will act with the same force: "We're going to stop them the same way we stopped the boats."
