Trump announces a second military strike against a suspected Venezuelan drug cartel.

WashingtonWhile the United States has yet to cite the legal basis under which it killed the 11 alleged drug traffickers leaving Venezuela two weeks ago, Donald Trump announced this Monday that the military had carried out a second attack against a suspected narco-trafficker from Venezuela and accused the crew of being "narcoterrorists." There are three deaths in total, according to the US president. "The attack took place while these confirmed narco-terrorists from Venezuela were in international waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) bound for the US," he wrote on the Truth Social network, where he also shared the video.

The attack adds fuel to the fire with Venezuela, which is preparing for a possible military intervention. The US president is relying on an executive order he signed in January designating several cartels, including the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles, as terrorist organizations. Today's military aggression follows the same pattern as the September 2nd attack, which, according to international law expert Mary Ellen O'Connell, is "illegal." "There is no legal right to use force, much less a missile attack against people suspected of crimes." explained in statements to ARA. Similarly, he emphasized that the term narcoterrorist There is no international law.

"These extremely violent drug cartels REPRESENT A THREAT to US national security, foreign policy, and vital US interests," the president insisted on his social network, adding: "Be alert: if you transport drugs that can kill the state.

The Trump administration is relaunching a new supposed war on drugs where it wants to use the threat of military force as a weapon of pressure on certain Latin American governments. The modus operandi The US government's ongoing operation is very reminiscent of the actions carried out in the early 2000s against Al-Qaeda in Bush's war on terror. Manuel Balcázar, a researcher at the Center for Security, Intelligence and Governance Studies, explained to ARA that the military attack against the 11 crew members of the alleged drug boat is not a "usual" action in anti-drug operations.

Trump is using this war on drugs—labeling the cartels as terrorist groups—to covertly pressure Latin American governments with the threat of military force. The US president wants to revive the backyard doctrine, where China had been gaining ground in recent years.

Although the message of the attack is directly aimed at Venezuela, it is also directed at Mexico, which is the main entry point for drugs consumed in the United States. Two weeks ago, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that attacks like this would "happen again" and promised a much larger operation in the region.