Copyright stabroeknews
U.S. military officials are drawing up options to target drug traffickers inside Venezuela, and strikes within that country’s borders could potentially begin in a matter of weeks, four sources told NBC News. Those sources are two U.S. officials familiar with the planning and two other sources familiar with the discussions, NBC News reproted. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly. Striking inside Venezuela would be another escalation in the Trump administration’s military campaign against alleged drug targets and its stance toward Venezuela’s government. In recent weeks, the U.S. military struck at least three boats from Venezuela allegedly carrying narco-traffickers and drugs that could threaten Americans, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social. The administration has not provided evidence that drugs were on all of those boats. But an official in the Dominican Republic, alongside one from the U.S. Embassy there, did say at a press conference Sunday that drugs were found in the water after one strike., NBC said Strikes inside Venezuela could happen in the next several weeks, but the president has not approved anything yet, the four people said. Two of them and an additional official familiar with the discussions said that the United States’ recent military escalation is in part a result of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro not doing enough, in the administration’s view, to stop the flow of illegal drugs out of his country. The plans being discussed primarily focus on drone strikes against drug trafficking groups’ members and leadership, as well as targeting drug labs, the four sources told NBC. Asked for comment, the White House referred NBC News to this previous statement from the president: “We’ll see what happens. Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs. It’s not acceptable.” The Pentagon declined to comment.
