Trump says US will begin stopping Venezuelan drug traffickers by land: ‘Going to start very soon’
In a recent address to U.S. service members at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, President Trump announced a significant escalation in efforts to combat Venezuelan drug trafficking, stating that the U.S. will soon begin intercepting suspected traffickers “by land.” This announcement coincided with Thanksgiving celebrations and highlighted the ongoing challenges posed by drug networks linked to Venezuela, which Trump described as responsible for the deaths of “hundreds of thousands of people a year” in the United States due to the influx of narcotics. He emphasized that while maritime routes have seen increased enforcement—reportedly 85% of trafficking by sea has been curtailed—the focus will now shift to land-based operations to further disrupt these criminal networks.
Trump’s comments come in the context of a broader military strategy that includes recent strikes on drug trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean. Since September, U.S. forces have reportedly conducted over 21 strikes, targeting boats associated with Venezuelan gangs like the Tren de Aragua and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional. The president hinted at the possibility of deploying U.S. ground troops in Venezuela as part of this crackdown, stating, “I don’t rule out anything,” which raises the stakes in an already tense geopolitical landscape. The administration’s aggressive stance reflects a commitment to addressing the public health crisis caused by drug abuse in the U.S., while also confronting the political and criminal dynamics within Venezuela that facilitate drug trafficking. As these operations unfold, the implications for U.S. foreign policy and regional stability remain significant, especially as the Trump administration seeks to send a clear message to drug traffickers: “stop sending poison to our country.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BINgShZqcjk
President Trump on Thursday said the U.S. will “very soon” begin stopping suspected Venezuelan
drug traffickers
“by land.”
Speaking to U.S. service members on Thanksgiving, Trump praised the
U.S. Air Force’s 7th Bomb Wing
at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, and their efforts to deter Venezuelan drug networks.
“In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many,” Trump said. “Of course, there aren’t too many coming in by sea anymore. Have you probably noticed that?”
The president noted that drug traffickers are killing “hundreds of thousands of people a year” in the U.S. from the “poisons” that they bring in.
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“From sending their poisons into the United States, where they kill hundreds of thousands of people a year — but we’re going to take care of that situation,” Trump said. “We’re already doing a lot … It’s about 85%
stopped by sea.”
The president added, “You probably noticed that now people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”
“We warn them, ‘stop sending poison to our country’,” Trump said.
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Earlier this month, Trump said he was not ruling out sending U.S. ground troops into
Venezuela amid
his administration’s crackdown on criminal networks tied to the country’s top leadership and drugs that are exported from it.
“No, I don’t rule out that, I don’t rule out anything,” Trump said Nov. 17 when asked if he had ruled out sending U.S. troops to Venezuela.
US CARRIES OUT MORE ‘LETHAL’ STRIKES ON ALLEGED DRUG BOATS IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS, SECRETARY HEGSETH SAYS
Since early September, strikes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean have destroyed dozens of vessels, many tied to Venezuela’s
Tren de Aragua
gang and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional.
The administration has since carried out at least 21 fatal strikes on the boats.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
