The US seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela. In the background there is a fight between drug cartels
In a telephone interview with NBC News on Thursday (Friday in Poland), US President Donald Trump said that he did not rule out the possibility of war with Venezuela. When asked if he believed the attacks could lead to such a war, Trump replied that it was possible. He added that there will also be further takeovers of tankers.
According to various estimates, at least 104 people have died as a result of American attacks on boats as part of the Trump administration's campaign against drug cartels in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific.
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What actions has the US taken against oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela?
How many people died in US boat attacks?
Who does the US accuse of running a drug cartel?
What is the value of the oil carried by the detained tanker?
USA vs. Venezuela. Accusations from Washington
The United States has been accusing Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro of running a drug cartel and has been attacking boats that – according to US services – transporting drugs to the United States for several weeks. Last week, American forces also seized a sanctioned tanker off the coast of Venezuela and announced the confiscation of the transported oil, the value of which is estimated at approximately $80 million.
The Americans also gathered significant military forces in the region. On Tuesday, the US president announced a “blockade” of sanctioned tankers entering and leaving Venezuelan ports. He also declared that the Maduro regime is a “foreign terrorist organization.”
