US President Donald Trump has not ruled out military action against Venezuela, accusing the country of sending gang members and drugs into America. This follows weeks of escalating tensions between the two nations, with Washington deploying three warships and approximately 4,000 troops to the Southern Caribbean, stating that the mission targets drug cartels.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denies the allegations, asserting that his government has dismantled trafficking networks on its territory. During a press conference in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump was specifically asked about the possibility of a strike on Venezuela and whether he feared escalation from Maduro. In response, Trump stated, ‘We’ll see what happens,’ emphasizing that Venezuela is sending gang members, drug dealers, and drugs into the United States, which he described as unacceptable.
Maduro, in a statement to RT on Thursday, claimed the US is using the fight against drug traffickers as a pretext to gain access to Venezuela’s natural resources, calling the actions part of a broader ‘war plan’ to subjugate the world to the will of the US. The tensions have been ongoing for years, with Washington refusing to recognize Maduro’s reelection in 2018 and imposing sanctions while supporting the opposition.
Recently, military frictions intensified when the US sank a Venezuelan boat, claiming it was carrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang. In response, two Venezuelan jets flew over a US warship, with Trump warning that Venezuelan planes could be shot down if they posed a threat. Last month, Venezuela mobilized 15,000 troops near Colombia, later increasing the number to 25,000 in border and coastal regions described as ‘drug trafficking routes.’ Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that the situation is being ‘unacceptably escalated,’ with potentially far-reaching consequences for regional and global security.