Military Force Ordered for Drug Crackdown Early Last Month
The US military reportedly attacked a Venezuelan drug smuggling vessel. With the use of military force in cracking down on illegal drug trafficking increasing under the second Trump administration, tensions between the United States and Venezuela are expected to escalate further.
According to US media outlets such as CNN on September 2 (local time), President Donald Trump held a press conference at the White House in Washington that day and said, "Just a few minutes ago, we sank a ship carrying a large amount of drugs." He added, "For a long time, enormous quantities of drugs have been pouring into our country, and a significant amount is coming from Venezuela. We have blocked this, and after the meeting, you will see the results."
The burning drug smuggling ship after being attacked by the U.S. military. Capture from Truth Social
A photo of a boat, presumed to be a drug smuggling vessel, burning at sea was posted on social networking services (SNS). President Trump posted the photo on his own SNS, Truth Social, stating, "This morning, under my orders, the US military attacked a confirmed member of the 'Tren de Aragua' drug organization in the Southern Command's area of responsibility." It was reported that 11 members of the organization were killed in the operation.
President Trump also stated, "Tren de Aragua operates under the control of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro." He emphasized, "I hope this attack serves as a warning to those attempting to bring drugs into the United States." Tren de Aragua has indeed been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
Previously, foreign media outlets such as The New York Times reported that the Trump administration had secretly instructed the Department of Defense to use military force against South American drug cartels earlier last month. Until now, drug enforcement in the United States had been under the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies, but this move is interpreted as an intention to allow military intervention.
On August 7, the US government offered a $50 million (approximately 6.96 billion won) reward for President Maduro on charges of drug trafficking. Recently, the US also dispatched a fleet of eight warships to the Caribbean Sea. In response, President Maduro held a press conference in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on September 2, condemning the actions as "absurd, unjust, immoral, and criminal, blood-soaked threats."
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