White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller on Friday dodged a question from reporters about the ability to have ground troops on Venezuelan soil, as tensions rise between the Trump administration and the Venezuelan government. war on drugs in the Caribbean.
While he said he would not “engage in any detailed discussion now or ever” about possible military options, Miller called Venezuela a “central hub” for trafficking in narcotics, weapons, and humans.
White House aide called drug cartel Associated with the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, designated a terrorist organization, the “ISIS of the Western Hemisphere”.
When asked directly about the possibility of deploying US troops on the ground, he referred to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments Thursday about strategies used to counter the regime, including attacks on ships in the Caribbean Sea.
“I know you want a more detailed answer than I can give,” Miller told reporters. “But these are terrorists and they will be killed.”
The Trump administration has authorized military attacks on boats claiming to be carrying drugs off the Venezuelan coast and Pacific Ocean. About 43 people have died since the operation Started on 2nd September. Hegseth said earlier this week that the five were “narco-terrorists” killed on tuesday and wednesday, during two separate attacks Alleged drug smuggling boats in the Eastern Pacific.
The administration has not presented evidence that the boats were smuggling drugs.
Although President Trump said on Wednesday that he could Ask Congress to authorize the strike on cartel members on the ground, he This possibility was ruled out on Thursday And said he would “necessarily ask for a declaration of war.”
“I think we’ll kill the people who are bringing drugs into our country, okay?” Trump told reporters. “We’re going to kill them.”
Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution states that Congress has the sole power to declare war. But in the past, former Presidents Biden, Obama and George W. Bush have bypassed Congress to carry out attacks, including drones, on perceived adversaries. Obama and Trump both oversaw during their first terms multiple drone attacks,
Earlier this month, Democratic senators Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Tim Kaine (Va.) sponsored a resolution to prevent the strikes. The vote failed 48–51. GOP Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) are the only Republicans to support it. The only Democrat to vote against it was Senator John Fetterman (PA).
As tensions escalated, the Pentagon announced on Friday that it would USS Gerald R. send ford to the caribbeanAccording to Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, the world’s largest aircraft carrier will be used to “dismantle transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the homeland.”
Maduro has called the rising tensions a “crazy war” and called for peace.
The Venezuelan leader said, “Yes peace, yes peace forever, peace forever. Please don’t make any crazy wars.” Said On Thursday.
