For the second time this month, President Donald J. Trump ordered the U.S. to attack an alleged Venezuelan drug boat in the Caribbean. The first attack took place on September 2, killing 11 people, and the second took place on September 15, killing three.
Earlier this year, Trump decided that drug cartels should be in the same legal category as foreign terrorist organizations, allowing the military to attack the boat the same way they would attack terrorists. In an interview with Newsmax, Trump’s counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka said the cartels have declared war on the U.S., which is why Trump has decided to designate them as terrorists.
According to ABC News, referring to the most recent attack, “Trump said the incident occurred in international waters and insisted ‘we have proof’ that the boat was carrying drugs because of the cargo in the ocean”.
Trump, referring to the first attack, insisted that the boat was operated by members of the South American gang, Tren de Aragua. Venezuela’s interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, said on state television that none of the crew were a part of Tren de Aragua.
Trump also insisted that the first boat was headed towards the U.S., but according to ABC News, “According to one person familiar with the operation, the boat had turned around and was headed back to shore shortly before the strike.”
Overall, Trump has not released any of his evidence that the boats were transporting drugs. When asked for proof, Trump said, “We’ve recorded them those very careful because we know you people would be after us. We’re very careful”.
Despite saying that he has recorded evidence of the boats carrying drugs, he has not given any specific details or released the records he has. The only thing he has released is a video that he posted to his social media that showed a small boat in the water before being struck, causing the boat to catch on fire, which created a black cloud of smoke.
