Donald Trump responds to claims US wants to remove Maduro from power
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
Amid a recent incident involving Venezuelan fighter jets and drug trafficking, US President Donald Trump commented on a possible regime change in Venezuela, according to a live broadcast from the White House.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said that Venezuela supplies massive amounts of drugs to America, calling the country a very bad actor and noting that the bags of drugs seized by US authorities symbolize hundreds of thousands of dead American citizens.
“Millions and millions of dollars, billions of dollars of drugs are pouring out of Venezuela and other countries. Look, China, what they're doing with fentanyl is a terrible thing. It comes through Canada, and it comes through Mexico,” Trump stated.
Despite his tough rhetoric, Trump emphasized that the US is not talking about regime change in Venezuela, although he personally has serious doubts about the country’s recent elections.
“You had an election which was a very strange election to put it mild, I'm being very nice when I say that,” Trump stated.
The president stressed that Washington is concerned about the massive scale of drug trafficking, which, he said, brings in billions of dollars and threatens US security.
Strengthening the US military presence
In response to these concerns, the US administration announced the deployment of more than 4,000 Marines and sailors in waters around Latin America and the Caribbean. The Trump administration explained this move as part of intensified efforts against drug cartels, many of which are officially designated by the US as foreign terrorist organizations.
Notably, Trump also gave orders to shoot down Venezuelan aircraft approaching US ships. This came after two Venezuelan F-16s recently conducted low flights near the US Navy destroyer USS Jason Dunham in international waters.
Tough signals from Washington to Maduro
The US is reportedly ready to pay $50 million for information leading to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, who is accused of drug trafficking, corruption, and human rights violations.
On August 9, it became known that the US officially declared war on drug cartels, including Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles, allegedly headed by Maduro.
Additionally, in September 2024, the US imposed sanctions on 16 of Maduro’s allies in response to election fraud and government repression against the opposition.
