US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social the killing of three drug cartel members, possibly from Venezuela, in international waters.
According to him, the US military carried out a “strike against drug cartel members and narco-terrorists in the US Southern Command area of responsibility“, as a result of which “three terrorists“ were destroyed.
“The strike was carried out in international waters at a time when narco-terrorists from Venezuela were illegally transporting drugs to the United States“, the US leader wrote. He added that the drug cartel members “represent a threat to national security“ of the United States, as well as the country's foreign policy interests.
Trump admitted that Washington could take new and decisive measures against foreign criminal groups trying to smuggle drugs into the United States by land.
He expressed confidence that the strikes that the US Navy has carried out in international waters against ships allegedly associated with drug cartels have helped reduce the smuggling of illegal substances into the United States. "This means that drugs are not coming into our country by sea. They are coming by land," he added to reporters at the White House on Monday.
"And we are telling the cartels right now that we will stop them when they come by land. We will stop them the same way we stop ships," Trump said, referring to the possibility of strikes against smugglers. He did not say where exactly the United States might strike.
The president announced on September 2 that the US armed forces had eliminated 11 members of a Venezuelan drug cartel during an operation in international waters. According to Trump, Venezuela is not taking enough measures to combat drug trafficking.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that his country faces the most serious threat of invasion by the United States in the last 100 years. On August 19, three US Navy destroyers were sent to the southern Caribbean to the coast of Venezuela. A nuclear submarine, a missile cruiser, landing ships and 4.5 thousand military personnel were also deployed to the region.