The new strikes bring the total number of vessels targeted by the US to at least 36 and the number of fatalities to at least 115 since the US began its campaign in September. The Trump administration has claimed it is carrying out the strikes to stop the flow of drugs into the United States, but administration officials have also suggested they are part of a pressure campaign aimed at ousting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, from whose country many of the stricken vessels have originated. Last week President Donald Trump said the United States took out a “big facility” as part of a pressure campaign against Venezuela that has included a massive US naval and troop buildup in the Caribbean and a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers, in addition to the strikes.
Author: Michael Williams, Zachary Cohen
Published at: 2025-12-31 22:29:41
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