US President Donald Trump has renewed his accusation that Venezuela is sending gang members and drugs to the United States, which he said was 'not acceptable'.
Tension has been high between the two countries since the US deployed warships to the Southern Caribbean on what officials said were counter-narcotics operations.
As part of that deployment, the US launched an attack on a boat said to be carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing all 11 people on board.
Asked by a journalist on Sunday whether the US would now 'start doing strikes on mainland Venezuela', Trump answered: 'We'll see what happens.'
Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, the president emphasized that Venezuela was 'sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs'. He noted a significant reduction in maritime traffic in the Southern Caribbean 'since the first strike'.
Experts have raised questions about the legality of the September 2 attack on the alleged drug boat, suggesting it may have violated international law.
In response, Venezuela flew two F-16 fighter jets over a US Navy destroyer, prompting Trump to issue a warning that any Venezuelan jets posing a 'dangerous situation' would be shot down.
Tension resurfaced when Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil accused US forces of boarding a Venezuelan vessel, which he described as a 'small, harmless' fishing boat, seized 'illegally and hostilely' for eight hours.
The Venezuelan foreign ministry claims that the actions of the US 'are looking for an incident to justify escalating war in the Caribbean, with the aim of regime change' in Caracas.
The US, along with other nations including the UK, do not recognize the re-election of Nicolás Maduro in July 2024, supporting the claim that his rival, Edmundo González, won the election significantly. Maduro has been accused by US officials of leading a drug cartel and there is a $50 million reward for his capture.
Maduro, in turn, has denied the allegations, calling them an 'imperialist move' to oust him. He urges Venezuelans to join the militia, a civilian force often utilized for political rallies, with reports of public sector workers being pressured into enlistment.
Tension has been high between the two countries since the US deployed warships to the Southern Caribbean on what officials said were counter-narcotics operations.
As part of that deployment, the US launched an attack on a boat said to be carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing all 11 people on board.
Asked by a journalist on Sunday whether the US would now 'start doing strikes on mainland Venezuela', Trump answered: 'We'll see what happens.'
Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, the president emphasized that Venezuela was 'sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs'. He noted a significant reduction in maritime traffic in the Southern Caribbean 'since the first strike'.
Experts have raised questions about the legality of the September 2 attack on the alleged drug boat, suggesting it may have violated international law.
In response, Venezuela flew two F-16 fighter jets over a US Navy destroyer, prompting Trump to issue a warning that any Venezuelan jets posing a 'dangerous situation' would be shot down.
Tension resurfaced when Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil accused US forces of boarding a Venezuelan vessel, which he described as a 'small, harmless' fishing boat, seized 'illegally and hostilely' for eight hours.
The Venezuelan foreign ministry claims that the actions of the US 'are looking for an incident to justify escalating war in the Caribbean, with the aim of regime change' in Caracas.
The US, along with other nations including the UK, do not recognize the re-election of Nicolás Maduro in July 2024, supporting the claim that his rival, Edmundo González, won the election significantly. Maduro has been accused by US officials of leading a drug cartel and there is a $50 million reward for his capture.
Maduro, in turn, has denied the allegations, calling them an 'imperialist move' to oust him. He urges Venezuelans to join the militia, a civilian force often utilized for political rallies, with reports of public sector workers being pressured into enlistment.
