In a new and forceful statement, the White House reaffirmed on Tuesday its stance that Nicolás Maduro’s government in Venezuela lacks legitimacy and directly blamed it for sending lethal drugs into the United States. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stressed that the Trump administration will not tolerate such “deadly medicine” entering the country, calling the situation absolutely unacceptable.
During the press briefing, she also addressed the recent U.S. attack on a Venezuelan boat, in which 11 people allegedly linked to the criminal group Tren de Aragua were killed, and underscored that the operation was a clear message to drug traffickers: “The President will not tolerate it.” The White House defended the move as part of a firm strategy to stop the flow of drugs into U.S. territory.
The Venezuelan government strongly rejected these accusations. It denounced the attack as part of a misinformation and manipulation campaign by Washington and argued that such operations only intensify bilateral tensions in an already fragile environment.
Why is Washington so insistent on this version?
Because it seeks to justify a military and diplomatic escalation against Maduro’s regime, using the anti-narcotics narrative as a pretext for more aggressive actions in the Caribbean and across the region.
