President Donald Trump recently accused Nicolás Maduro's regime of allowing thousands of criminals to depart Venezuela for the United States, pledging to ramp up his anti-drug trafficking efforts on land.
During a White House press briefing, Trump was questioned about the recent seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker and whether the campaign against Caracas was still solely focused on drug trafficking.
"This involves multiple issues," Trump responded. "One significant concern is that they've allowed millions from their prisons, gangs, drug traffickers, and mental institutions to enter our country, possibly more than any other nation."
The president further stated that security agencies have identified the entry of "11,888 killers," many originating from Venezuela, as part of the irregular flow into the United States.
"We had 11,888 killers enter our country, many from Venezuela... drug trafficking by sea has decreased by 92%, and we will achieve the same success on land," he asserted.
Trump hailed what he termed a "historic success" of his border security policy and the joint operation with the Coast Guard, which he claimed has nearly eliminated maritime drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Looking ahead, the president indicated that the next phase would target "on-land" criminal networks and trafficking routes within the United States. "We've secured the sea; now we'll secure the border and every state," he declared.
These comments follow new sanctions from Washington against officials and companies linked to Maduro's regime, accused of engaging in drug trafficking and corruption.
Recently, Trump has intensified his rhetoric against Venezuela, describing it as "a direct threat to regional stability."
From the White House, senior Homeland Security officials emphasized that the immigration and anti-drug operations are part of a "hemispheric" strategy to cut off chavismo's funding sources.
"Maduro and his allies are exporting crime, drugs, and chaos across the continent," one advisor asserted during the briefing.
Trump concluded by reaffirming that his administration "will not back down" from pressuring the Venezuelan regime or its commitment to "defend the American people from transnational crime."
The Trump administration has launched an all-out offensive against Nicolás Maduro's regime, combining sanctions, military threats, and increasingly aggressive rhetoric.
In recent days, the Treasury Department sanctioned Cilia Flores' "narco nephews" and several shipping companies for their involvement in smuggling Venezuelan oil, accusing chavismo of funding drug trafficking networks and internal repression.
Parallel to this, Trump has escalated his warlike rhetoric. He promised that land assaults against Venezuelan drug traffickers would begin "very soon" and warned, "we know where the bad guys live."
Later, he assured that the United States knows all the routes and locations where drugs are produced and that the next phase will be terrestrial, following naval operations in the Caribbean.
Additionally, the president publicly stated that Maduro's days are "numbered" and did not rule out a direct intervention.
Questions About U.S. Relations with Venezuela
What are the main accusations Trump has made against Venezuela?
Trump accused Venezuela of allowing thousands of criminals to enter the United States and being a major player in drug trafficking and regional instability.
How has Trump's administration responded to Venezuela's actions?
The administration has imposed sanctions, intensified rhetoric, and promised to expand anti-drug trafficking efforts to land, targeting criminal networks within the U.S.
What is the significance of the recent sanctions imposed by Washington?
These sanctions target officials and companies linked to the Maduro regime for their involvement in drug trafficking and corruption, aiming to cut off financial resources to chavismo.