Reuters

ISLAMABAD: The U.S. military launched a second missile strike on a suspected Venezuelan &lsquo;drug trafficking&rsquo; vessel in international waters, escalating tensions with Caracas.&nbsp;The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, has been accused of leading a cocaine cartel.&nbsp;&nbsp;Caracas vowed to defend itself against what it calls U.S. aggression.&nbsp;US military build-upThe Trump administration dramatically increased pressure on Venezuela, deploying over 4,000 troops, warships armed with Tomahawk missiles, an attack submarine, and military aircraft in the southern Caribbean. &nbsp;&nbsp;President Donald Trump confirmed the strike killed three men aboard the boat, which he linked to the Venezuelan cartel Tren de Aragua, allegedly headed by Maduro himself.&nbsp;&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported the attacks, saying the strikes caused a significant drop in drug shipments headed to the U.S. &quot;We have 100 percent fidelity and certainty that that boat was involved in that trafficking of those drugs that ultimately were destined to reach the United States of America,&quot; Rubio said.&nbsp;Venezuelan responseThe Venezuelan president, speaking in Caracas, denounced U.S. actions as aggressive and blamed Rubio for the breakdown in communications between the two governments. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello disputed U.S. claims. He stated the 11 people killed in an earlier strike were not drug trafficking and raised questions about why arrests were not made if drugs were aboard.&nbsp;Maduro said Venezuela had the right to defend itself fully and urged citizens to remain &lsquo;alert&rsquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;Military posturingVenezuelan fighter jets flew close to the USS Jason Dunham, a move the U.S. Pentagon called &ldquo;highly provocative&rdquo;. While Trump avoided confirming further strikes on the Venezuelan mainland, there are worries that the September 2 strike marked the start of a broader campaign to disrupt &lsquo;narcotics trafficking&rsquo; and possibly remove Maduro from power.&nbsp;&nbsp;

US conducts second strike on Venezuelan vessel, Maduro vows defense

Americas

Caracas vowed to defend itself against what it calls U.S. aggression.

Articles tagged with "Nicolas Maduro"

US conducts second strike on Venezuelan vessel, Maduro vows defense