Trump Signals Imminent Ground Strikes on Cartels

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump has announced that ground operations targeting drug cartels in Latin America will begin soon, marking a potential escalation in Washington’s regional military activity under the guise of a war on drugs.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump stated, "It's going to be starting on land pretty soon," without providing further details on the scope or nature of the operation.

"Land strikes on Venezuela, it's land strikes on horrible people that are bringing in drugs and killing our people,” the president stated.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the United States of using drug trafficking allegations as a pretext to seize his country’s natural resources, particularly oil.

His remarks came just days after Trump seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.

“We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening,” Trump said.

Maduro declared, “The mask has fallen,” referring to what he described as the real motives behind US aggression toward Venezuela.

"The issue is not drug trafficking. It’s the oil they want to steal," he said, adding that imperialist powers are after Venezuela’s oil, asphalt, and gas reserves. “Thief, get out of here,” he added, addressing the US directly.