Hegseth did not provide any information about the scope of the Latin American operation or how it differs from the US military actions already carried out in the region. When asked about the exact nature of the operation, a Pentagon spokesman simply referred to Hegseth’s X contribution.
CBS News reported Wednesday that senior military officials have discussed various options for operations in Venezuela with U.S. President Donald Trump, including U.S. strikes on land.
Trump has sent several warships and fighter planes to the Caribbean in recent weeks, and the US aircraft carrier “USS Gerald R. Ford” also arrived off the coast of Latin America on Tuesday.
At the beginning of September, the US Army began attacks on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean, and later boats were also attacked in the eastern Pacific. This week, according to media reports, the US Army again attacked a suspicious boat in the Caribbean. According to CBS News, the attack happened on Monday, according to the New York Times on Wednesday. Both media outlets reported, citing sources in the Pentagon, that all four people on board were killed in the attack.
According to US information, at least 80 people have been killed and at least 21 boats destroyed in 20 US attacks in international waters in the Caribbean and the Pacific since September. The US has not yet provided any evidence that the boats attacked were actually carrying drugs.
Critics describe the attacks as extrajudicial executions and contrary to international law – even if they were actually directed against drug traffickers. UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk called on the US government on Monday to review its actions. Türk told the AFP news agency that there were “strong indications” that the attacks were “extrajudicial killings.”
The USA accuses Venezuela of actively promoting drug smuggling into the United States and thereby endangering the security of the USA and its citizens.
Venezuela’s left-wing nationalist President Nicolás Maduro, however, classified the killings of suspected drug smugglers as illegal “executions” and suspected US plans to overthrow him.
The Venezuelan Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday a massive military exercise to counter the “imperial threats” posed by the United States. Accordingly, in addition to the ground troops, the navy and the air force were also mobilized. According to the ministry, a total of 200,000 soldiers are taking part in the exercise. Initially, no increased military activity was observed in the capital Caracas. Venezuela had recently announced similar maneuvers several times, but these often did not lead to visible operations.
Trump recently denied planning military attacks on Venezuela. At the same time, he said Maduro’s days are numbered.
Relations between the USA and Colombia had also recently deteriorated in light of the attacks. Colombia recently accused the USA of killing an uninvolved fisherman during one of the operations.
