U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday, September 15, that U.S. military forces carried out a second attack in the Caribbean Sea against a vessel allegedly linked to drug trafficking.
According to the president on the Truth Social network, the boat was carrying three Venezuelan nationals, who died during the operation.
Operation in international waters
Trump claimed that the vessel was sailing in international waters with drug shipments destined for the United States.
Under his direct orders, the Southern Command executed what he described as a “kinetic attack” against what he described as “identified and extraordinarily violent narcoterrorists”.
The president stressed that no U.S. military personnel were injured in the operation and sent a strong message: “If you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we will hunt you down”.
Second attack in two weeks
This event occurred just 13 days after the first attack, which took place on September 2.
That was when the United States announced that it had intercepted and destroyed another boat with eleven alleged members of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, an organization identified in multiple intelligence reports as one of the most violent in Latin America.
The Venezuelan government, headed by Nicolas Maduro, immediately rejected the operation, denying that the vessel was transporting drugs or was linked to criminal groups.
Caracas described the events as a violation of its sovereignty and denounced what it considers an “armed aggression” by Washington.
Escalation in U.S.-Venezuela tension
The new attack reflects the growing tension between the two countries.
The Trump Administration alleges that Maduro is linked to the so-called Cartel of the Suns, a drug trafficking network involving senior Venezuelan military officials.
In this context, the U.S. government maintains a $50 million reward for information leading to the capture of the Venezuelan leader.
For his part, Maduro declared on Monday, September 15, that communications with Washington are “undone” and affirmed that Venezuela is “more prepared than ever” for the possibility of an armed confrontation.
He also accused the United States of using the fight against drug trafficking as a pretext to increase its military presence in Caribbean waters.
Relevance to the Hispanic community in the U.S.
For Latinos in the United States, this type of news has a double impact.
On the one hand, they show the firmness of the U.S. government in the fight against drug trafficking, a sensitive issue due to the overdose crisis affecting thousands of families in the country.
On the other hand, they generate concern among those who have family ties with Venezuela or with Caribbean communities, fearing that the escalation of tensions could lead to a major conflict affecting regional stability.
Human rights organizations have warned that such military operations can increase the vulnerability of migrants and fishermen in Caribbean waters, who are sometimes caught in the middle of anti-drug trafficking operations.
El ataque ocurrió mientras estos narcoterroristas venezolanos, confirmados, se encontraban en aguas internacionales transportando narcóticos ilegales (¡UN ARMA MORTAL QUE ENVENENA A LOS ESTADOUNIDENSES!) con destino a EE. UU.
Presidente Trump