The comments follow intense scrutiny of the administration’s recent offensive, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 80 individuals linked to suspected drug-trafficking vessels.
Washington, DC, December 3, 2025, BNN Web Staff: US President Donald Trump signaled a sharp escalation in American operations against alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers, announcing that the US will “very soon” conduct strikes on targets located inside Venezuela. The statement comes after a series of controversial US airstrikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said, “We’re going to start doing those strikes on land too. Land is much easier; we know where they live. We know where the bad ones live, and we’re going to start that very soon.”
The comments follow intense scrutiny of the administration’s recent offensive, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 80 individuals linked to suspected drug-trafficking vessels.
Trump defended War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has faced criticism for the handling of the strikes. Trump claimed neither he nor Hegseth was aware of a second strike carried out by the US military on September 2, following an initial attack that did not eliminate everyone on board.
“I didn’t know about the second strike,” Trump said. “I knew they took out a boat, but that was it.”
Hegseth stated he watched the first strike live but later proceeded to another meeting. He said he was informed of the second strike a few hours later and did not see any survivors, describing the situation as “the fog of war.”
The White House clarified that the second strike was authorized by Admiral Frank M. “Mitch” Bradley, commander of the US Special Operations Command.
With Trump’s latest declaration, tensions between Washington and Caracas are expected to rise sharply, raising concerns about regional stability and the possibility of wider conflict
