24.10.2025
US President Donald Trump said he would kill more “narcoterrorists” and has sent heavy military assets to the coast of Venezuela.
The US has built up a large force in the Caribbean Sea and waters off Venezuela, prompting speculation that Mr Trump could try to topple Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Mr Maduro faces narcoterrorism charges in the US, which the Venezuelan government says are baseless.
Since early September, US forces have also carried out illegal bombings on vessels in the waters off Venezuela that Washington says were trafficking drugs, killing scores.
Mr Trump said it did not need Congress’s approval, telling reporters on Thursday: “Well, I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war.
“I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them.
“Now they [drugs] are coming in by land … you know, the land is going to be next.”
So far, the US says it has struck at least 10 vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific since early September, killing at least 43 people in an operation Washington brands a campaign against “narco-terrorists.”
The administration has not published evidence substantiating allegations against the crews or individuals killed.
The military deployment to the region has included naval ships, F-35 fighter jets and a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops have been moved into the Caribbean.
Venezuela has accused the US of launching its anti-cartel campaign as part of a plot to overthrow President Maduro, who said on Wednesday that his armed forces have 5,000 Russian surface-to-air missiles to counter any US military intervention in his country. Agency report
US warships... menacing display off the coast of Venezuela .