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President Donald Trump says the US military has destroyed an alleged Venezuelan drug vessel travelling in international waters on the way to the US.

Trump said on Monday that three men were killed in the attack on "violent drug trafficking cartels". He provided no evidence that the boat was carrying drugs

Shortly before, his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro said Caracas would defend itself against US "aggression", calling America's top diplomat Marco Rubio the "lord of death and war".

Tensions between the two countries escalated after the US deployed warships to the southern Caribbean on what officials said were counter-narcotics operations, carrying out a strike which killed 11 people.

"This morning, on my orders, US military forces conducted a second kinetic strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists," Trump said on Truth Social

"These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels pose a threat to US national security."

The post also included a nearly 30 second video, which appeared to show a vessel in a body of water exploding and then bursting into flames.

Speaking later from the Oval Office, Trump said that the US had recorded proof and evidence that the boats belonged to narco-terrorist groups.

"All you have to do is look at the cargo - it was spattered all over the ocean - big bags of cocaine and fentanyl all over the place," he said. "We recorded them. It was very careful, because we know you people would be after us. We're very careful."

Trump went on to assert that drug trafficking to the US by sea had decreased under recent efforts, but acknowledged that narcotics were still entering the country by land.

"We're telling the cartels right now, we're going to be stopping them too," he said.

Rubio had earlier on Monday defended the first attack on a boat said to be carrying drugs from Venezuela, which killed all 11 people on board, saying Washington had "100% fidelity and certainty" that the vessel was involved in trafficking to the US.

"What needs to start happening is some of these boats need to get blown up," he said during an interview on Fox News. He added that Maduro represented "a direct threat to the national security" of the US due to his alleged involvement in drug trafficking.

Later on Monday, Maduro said that relations with the US had "been destroyed by their bomb threats".

"We have moved from a period of battered relations to a completely broken one".

The Venezuelan president said the government would "fully" exercise its "legitimate right to defend itself".

Legal experts previously told the BBC that the fatal strike on the first vessel in international waters may have violated international human rights and maritime law.

Asked by a journalist on Sunday whether the US would now "start doing strikes on mainland Venezuela", Trump answered: "We'll see what happens."

Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, the president said Venezuela was "sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs".

He said that maritime traffic in the southern Caribbean had reduced significantly "since the first strike".

Experts raised questions about the legality of the 2 September attack on the alleged drug boat, saying that it may have violated international law.

Venezuela responded by flying two F-16 fighter jets over a US Navy destroyer two days later.

That led Trump to warn that any Venezuelan jets putting "us in a dangerous situation" would be shot down.

After a brief lull, tensions rose again on Saturday when Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil accused US forces of boarding a Venezuelan vessel.

Gil said the vessel, which he described as a "small, harmless" fishing boat, was seized "illegally and hostilely" for eight hours.

In a statement, the Venezuelan foreign ministry alleged that those who ordered the seizure were "looking for an incident to justify escalating war in the Caribbean, with the aim of regime change" in Caracas.

The US, and many other nations including the UK, have not recognised the re-election of Maduro in July 2024, pointing to evidence gathered by the opposition with the help of independent observers showing that his rival, Edmundo González, had won the election by a landslide.

US officials have also accused Maduro of leading a drug cartel called the Cartel of the Suns and are offering a reward of $50m (£37m) for information leading to his capture.

Maduro has denied the allegations and has accused the US of an "imperialist move" to depose him.

He has called on Venezuelans to enlist in the militia, a force made up of civilians which in the past has been used mainly to boost numbers at political rallies and parades.

Public sector workers have reported being pressured into joining the militia.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2jel4gyezo cc

It is obvious, Maduro is as good as gone. They set a trap for you and you fell for it. The plan is simple, provoke Venezuela into taking some irrational decisions and boom! Next is invasion

It won't take America more than a month to get rid of you Maduro. Nothing even Russia can save you as it is now

Those are innocent Fisher men been killed.nothing like drugs dealers on boats

Trump is just as good as an evil man, you have no evidence against these people carry drugs but your hate for the president and country made you destroy everything they have worked for. Why is he not about gun violence and homicide ravaging all over his country?

The US destroying everything foreign on sight. Interesting!

Were the three confirmed to be dangerous or the US just wasted non-American lives for fun? I’m leaning on the latter.

Drug cartels in boat, not even speeds boat oo. Well US are know for putting mouth for wetin no concern them sha.

In the run up to the US elections, some poorly-fed Nigerians argued that Trump was coming to stop all wars.
SMH.

Our president is lucky he wasn't caught during this Trump Era

The US and leveraging media to reshape its tarnished reputation

Thought Venezuela was rich in oil so doesnt need to do drugs. Another Nigeria?

My GOD..this news is dead already na haba nairaland.
THIS IS Embarrassingly SLOW..THE NEWS AS BEEN OVER DEBATED FOR DAYS IN AMERICA....AND U JUST POSTING IT NOW?
SINCE 2ND OF SEPTEMBER...CHAI

Ok so this was another one. Fine

Still doesn't detract from the fact the NL is the slowest source for info

This is commendable. Death to drug merchants rendering our youth useless.

Turning our youth to drug addicts and having their future ruined

They are hellbent on taken over the large deposit of oil in that region. They have tried it through the election, it's doesn't work. The next, they took out tanks.

I think the US needs to change its tactic in its war against narcotics, they should stop providing a market for it by curtailing the appetite of American citizens for drugs!

richkal:
They are hellbent on taken over the large deposit of oil in that region. They have tried it through the election, it's doesn't work. The next, they took out tanks.

The oil Venezuela has is of low quality therefore it's largely useless.

Trust me no one is interested in their oil

Another excuse to invade Venezuela. More drugs enter the US from Mexico and not Venezuela. But of course the target is not drugs. It is Venezuela's oil. The country has the largest proven oil reserves in the world and the US wants that oil.

The other day, they blew up innocent fishermen claiming they are drug dealers. I won't be surprised if it's fishermen they're blowing up again this time.

This is how you deal with terrorists invaders not begging and appeasing them like they do in northern Nigeria

Kobicove:
I think the US needs to change its tactic in its war against narcotics, they should stop providing a market for it by curtailing the appetite of American citizens for drugs!

The first step is cutting off the supply chain of narcotics.

Slow nairaland mods that bring news when it's gone stale

CodeTemplarr:
Thought Venezuela was rich in oil so doesnt need to do drugs. Another Nigeria?

They have the highest oil reserves in the world but they are under sanctions because maduro is anti West. With the regime change trump is pushing for under the guise of fighting against the drug cartel ( does the weapons of mass destruction that sadam was accused of having ring a bell) pulls thru, they would be able to install a puppet who might give us access to oil at a ridiculous price

Kobicove:
The oil Venezuela has is of low quality therefore it's largely useless.

Trust me no one is interested in their oil

do you know that venezuela has the highest oil reserve in the world, the only problem is that it is difficult to extract, which the americans are capable of doing easily.

"drug boat"

Na so
Let them continue fooling themselves

Watcharena:
Those are innocent Fisher men been killed.nothing like drugs dealers on boats

Were you there?
28 more characters needed
6 more characters needed

Maduro is going going ,gone, America will soon catch him

cosse:
My GOD..this news is dead already na haba nairaland.
THIS IS Embarrassingly SLOW..THE NEWS AS BEEN OVER DEBATED FOR DAYS IN AMERICA....AND U JUST POSTING IT NOW?
SINCE 2ND OF SEPTEMBER...CHAI

This is another incident.

Can't you at least try to investigate?

lordprogress:
do you know that venezuela has the highest oil reserve in the world, the only problem is that it is difficult to extract, which the americans are capable of doing easily.

Yes I'm aware that they have the largest reserve of oil in the world...oil that is largely useless because it is very heavy and expensive to refine which is why it's not regarded as a premium brand.

In the petrochemical world quality trumps quantity!

Any Venezuelan boat is now suspected to be carrying drugs by the United States. That is terrorism

Watcharena:
Those are innocent Fisher men been killed.nothing like drugs dealers on boats

Dey whine yourself.
FISHERMEN WITH DEBRIS OF COCAIN SCATTERED ON THE SEA .
THEY MUST BE FISHERS OF NACORTIC

The USA is fast becoming a terrorist country! Why killing the poor fishermen?

It’s all about oil!

Same tactics, different narrative


Saddam was weapon of mass destruction, Maduro is drugs.