US President Donald Trump has proposed a second phase in the fight against Venezuelan drug cartels, designated by the United States as terrorist organizations.
This became clear from his statement to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House.
When asked what further steps the US intends to take in the fight against alleged Venezuelan drug cartels, Trump said that “drug trafficking will be stopped“.
“We'll see what the second phase looks like“, he added, without specifying what specific measures he may be discussing.
Washington accuses Venezuelan authorities of insufficient efforts to combat drug smuggling. The US Navy has already destroyed at least three speedboats in international waters in the Caribbean Sea carrying 18 people accused of transporting drugs from Venezuela.
In his speech to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly on September 23, Trump said that the military would continue to attack ships allegedly linked to Venezuelan drug cartels led by President Nicolas Maduro.
US media reported that the US may begin striking drug cartel targets in Venezuela in the next few weeks.