Trump has announced that the U.S. has carried out a successful strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug-carrying vessel that had departed Venezuela.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the vessel was being operated by a "designated narco-terrorist organization." He described the operation as a lethal strike. Recently the Trump administration announced plans to boost its maritime force in the waters off Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels.
Tensions between the two nations are increasing.
The U.S. has not signaled any planned land incursion by the thousands of personnel being deployed. Still, President Nicolás Maduro's government has responded by deploying troops along Venezuela's coast and border with neighboring Colombia, as well as by urging Venezuelans to enlist in a civilian militia, The Associated Press reports.
The press office of Venezuela’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the announcement, The AP says.
Kirk Lippold commanded the USS Cole when it was attacked by terrorists in 2000.
"I think that the Trump administration thoroughly reviewed the legality of what they did, and they have essentially taken these drug organizations, these cartels, and have finally called them out for what they are … they're terrorist organizations.”
The cartels are functioning as terrorists and need to be labeled as such, Lippold told AFN.
“They are being run as a terrorist organization. They are introducing a material for the sake of undermining U.S. national security like a terrorist. They're killing Americans and others around the world with impunity because of the products that they produce."
And Lippold says they are operating essentially as a military force.
“They are arming up in the military manner. They are organizing in a military manner. So therefore, they can be classified how the administration has done it, which gave that action legal weight. So, it was the right thing to do. It is time to start holding these organizations accountable for what they did and why they should be taken out."
