Two T&T Citizens Killed in U.S. Drug Boat Strike off Venezuela, Police Probe
T&T police are investigating reports that two citizens died in a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug vessel near Venezuela. The strike was the fifth of its kind in the Caribbean.
T&T Police Probe Deaths of Two Citizens in U.S. Strike on Alleged Narco Vessel
The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is investigating reports that two of its citizens were among six people killed when the United States struck a boat allegedly carrying narcotics off the coast of Venezuela, cbsnews.com reported Wednesday.
President Donald Trump announced the strike in a post on Truth Social, stating the vessel had been "just off the Coast of Venezuela" and was travelling along a route associated with a "known designated terrorist organization." Trump said intelligence confirmed the boat was trafficking narcotics and described those aboard as "narcoterrorists," without providing further details.
The T&T Police Service said it was "aware of the reports" that nationals of the twin-island republic — which lies less than 10 miles from Venezuela's coastline — had been aboard the vessel. Authorities said they are conducting inquiries but that the information "is yet to be fully verified through official channels." The service said it could not confirm any details at this stage and asked the public for "patience and understanding" in what it described as "this complex situation," adding that a formal statement would follow once information was verified.
In a phone interview with Agence France-Presse, police said residents of the village of Las Cuevas had reported that two Trinidadians were believed to have been on the sunken boat.
The strike was the fifth of its kind carried out by the United States against alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean. Figures released by the Trump administration indicate that 27 people have been killed across all five operations.
The strikes have drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle in Washington. Some Republican lawmakers are pressing the White House for details on the legal justification for the actions, while Democratic legislators argue the operations violate U.S. and international law. A war powers resolution that would have required Congressional authorisation before further strikes could be carried out failed to pass the Senate last week.
The operations are unfolding against a backdrop of sharply rising tensions between Washington and Caracas. Trump told CBS News' Ed O'Keefe on Wednesday that he had authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, and said his administration was also examining the possibility of land-based strikes against the country. A significant build-up of U.S. forces has been observed in the region in recent weeks. The U.S. Justice Department in August doubled the bounty for information leading to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's capture, raising it to $50 million.
Maduro has accused Washington of plotting regime change and labelled recent U.S. actions "aggression." He ordered new military exercises on Wednesday. The Venezuelan leader is widely accused of fraudulently securing re-election last year, an allegation Trump has used to claim Maduro heads a drug cartel — a charge Maduro denies.
Source: Google News TT — Crime