A U.S. military strike on a Venezuelan vessel has been identified as a targeted operation aimed at disrupting a sophisticated narco-terrorist network involving Hezbollah and Iran, which has been profiting from cocaine trafficking in Venezuela. The strike is viewed as part of a larger campaign to dismantle these groups, which have been laundering billions of dollars through drug proceeds and using Venezuela as a transshipment hub for Colombian cocaine.
Experts warn that these operations, which involve Venezuelan military elites and the Cartel of the Suns, enable Hezbollah to funnel drug profits to Iran’s operations in the Middle East. The strike is part of a broader strategy to weaken Iran’s influence in Latin America, with officials emphasizing that cutting off financial networks is key to dismantling the drug-smuggling empire. State Department spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital,