Washington Strikes Again in the Pacific: A Clash Between Trump and Maduro

SadaNews - The US military announced that one person was killed during an attack on a vessel in international waters in the Pacific, as the heated war of words continues between US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The US Southern Command stated that one person was killed in a strike yesterday (Monday) targeting a "low-profile ship" suspected of carrying drugs, in international waters off the East Pacific.

In a post on X platform, the Southern Command of the US military said, "The Joint Task Force (Southern Spear) executed a lethal kinetic strike against a low-profile vessel operated by organizations classified as terrorist, in international waters."

In recent times, US forces have executed a series of strikes targeting boats suspected by Washington of being involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean and East Pacific, resulting in the destruction of approximately 30 vessels and the deaths of at least 104 individuals.

The United States has also mobilized a massive fleet of warships in the Caribbean Sea, including the world's largest aircraft carrier, and has conducted repeated military aircraft sorties along the Venezuelan coast in recent weeks.

Clash

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump stated on Monday that it would be "wise" for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down from his position.

In response to a question from reporters at his home in Florida about whether Washington's threats to Caracas aim to end Maduro's 12-year presidency, Trump said, "It’s up to him to decide what he wants to do. I think it would be wise" for him to resign.

Washington has intensified pressure on Maduro this year through other means, accusing him of leading what is known as the "Sun Cartel," which it has designated as a "terrorist organization for drug trafficking," and it has offered a reward of 50 million dollars for information leading to his arrest.

The Trump administration insists that the goal of these strikes is to curb trafficking, but White House Chief of Staff Suzy Wiles told Vanity Fair that the strikes aim to exert pressure on Venezuela, explaining that the US president "wants to keep blowing up boats until Maduro capitulates."

In contrast, the Caracas authorities assert that the Trump administration resorts to false drug trafficking accusations in an attempt to oust Maduro and gain control of the country’s vast oil resources.

In this context, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responded to Trump's call for him to resign, stating that it would be better for the US president to focus on domestic issues instead of threatening Caracas.

Maduro said in a speech broadcast on state television, "It would be better for President Trump to focus on the economic and social issues in his country (...) and to attend to his own country's affairs."

Russian Support

On the other hand, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil announced on Monday that he received a call from his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, in which he expressed his country's "full" support in the crisis between Caracas and Washington.

Gil stated in a statement, "We discussed the attacks and blatant violations of international law being committed in the Caribbean, including attacks on boats, extrajudicial executions, and illegal piracy carried out by the US government, and Lavrov renewed his full support against the aggressions on our country."

The Russian minister stated that "this type of aggression cannot be tolerated," affirming that Russia would provide "full cooperation and support to Venezuela against the blockade, expressing its full support for the measures taken in the United Nations Security Council."

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is considered a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has supported him since the early days of the Russian military attack on Ukraine.