The US is increasing its military presence in Latin America with the Southern Spear mission to combat suspected narco-terrorists. Critics and the UN accused Washington of carrying out the executions in violation of international law.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced new military operations in Latin America. According to Hegseth, Southern Spear’s mission is “to defend our homeland, eradicate narco-terrorists from our hemisphere and protect our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people.”
Another US attack on a boat suspected of being used for drug smuggling this week killed all four people on board, according to US media.
The US accused Venezuela of actively encouraging drug smuggling into the US and thereby endangering the security of the US and its citizens.
Trump sends warships and planes to the Caribbean
US President Trump has sent several warships and warplanes to the Caribbean in recent weeks, and on Tuesday the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford also arrived off the coast of Latin America.
In early September, the US Army began attacking ships suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean, and later ships were also attacked in the eastern Pacific. This week, according to media reports, the US Army again attacked suspicious vessels in the Caribbean.
According to US information, at least 80 people were killed and at least 21 ships were destroyed in 20 US attacks in international waters in the Caribbean and Pacific since September. The US has not provided any evidence that the ships attacked were actually carrying drugs.
The UN human rights commissioner called for a review of the US attack
Critics described the attack as an extrajudicial execution and contrary to international law – even if the attack was actually directed against drug traffickers.
UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk called on the US government on Monday to review its actions. Türk told the AFP news agency that there were “strong indications” that the attack was an “extrajudicial killing.”
Maduro warns of US coup
However, Venezuela’s left-wing nationalist President Nicolás Maduro classified the killing of a suspected drug trafficker as an illegal “execution” and suspected a US plot to overthrow him.
Venezuela’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday announced major military exercises to counter the “imperial threat” posed by the United States. Therefore, apart from land troops, the navy and air force were also deployed.
According to the ministry, a total of 200,000 troops took part in the exercise. Initially, no increase in military activity was seen in the capital Caracas. Venezuela has recently announced similar maneuvers several times, but these often do not lead to visible operations.
