President Donald Trump said the US military struck another Venezuelan ship allegedly carrying drugs, part of Washington’s expanding crackdown on Latin American cartels. Trump said the attack, in international waters, killed three people.
In response, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Caracas would not “fall into provocations” that may give Washington a motive to invade and replace his regime.
The White House also decertified Colombia as a partner in its war against drugs, arguing Bogotá had “failed demonstrably” to crack down on drug gangs.
Cocaine production in Colombia has soared as the government takes a hands-off approach to coca cultivation, fueling a wave of violence across Latin America as cartels vie for control of trafficking routes.
