US Strikes on Drug Vessels Near Venezuela

The US has carried out another strike on a boat allegedly trafficking drugs near Venezuela, killing four people. This is the fourth such strike in a month, with a total of 21 people killed. The US claims the boats were carrying substantial amounts of narcotics and were operated by 'narco-terrorists'. Venezuela and Colombia have condemned the strikes, with some international lawyers questioning their legality. US President Donald Trump has justified the strikes as self-defense and has now categorized the conflict with drug cartels as a 'non-international armed conflict', potentially granting the administration more extreme wartime powers.

The US Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, announced that a US strike on a suspected drug boat off the coast of Venezuela killed four 'narco-terrorists'. The strike is the fourth such operation in the region, with at least three targeting vessels originating from Venezuela. The US has been building up its maritime presence in the Caribbean, with eight warships and over 5,000 sailors and Marines deployed. Venezuela has condemned the strikes, calling them 'illegal incursions' and accusing the US of threatening national sovereignty. The US has also offered a $50 million bounty for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The article reports on a visit to Medellin, Colombia, Pablo Escobar's home city, where drugs are readily available on the streets. The city has a thriving 'narco' culture, with images of Escobar everywhere and a 24-hour drug market operating alongside normal shops and cafes. The article also visits a hidden coca plantation on the Peru border, where a farmer explains that he grows coca to provide for his family, despite knowing it's used to produce cocaine. The article discusses President Donald Trump's war on Latin American drug cartels and how it affects Colombia, a major cocaine producer. The farmer's low earnings from growing coca suggest that the cocaine business is lucrative for cartels, not farmers.

The article discusses the impact of US President Donald Trump's declared war on drug cartels on Ecuador, a country used as a transit point for drug cartels. Ecuadorian police, aided by US resources and military muscle, are conducting raids on suspected drug dealers, resulting in the seizure of drugs, weapons, and money. The police are working to disrupt the drug trade chain by gathering intelligence from lower-level dealers to catch bigger players. The article highlights the involvement of children in the drug trade and the challenges faced by the police in tackling the issue.