The Trump administration signals a new hard-line approach to international drug cartels with Marine strikes that mark a departure from traditional seize operations.
The unprecedented strikes by U.S. Marines on a cartel-operated vessel off of Venezuela this week signaled that the Trump administration is taking a hard new approach when it comes to countering the international drug trade.
While the U.S. military has long worked to counter cartel and international gang organizations beginning in the late 1980s, the Tuesday strike that killed 11 members of Tren de Aragua – which the Trump administration designated as a terrorist organization in February – marked a definite shift from previous seize and apprehend operations.
« The gloves are off », Isaias Medina, former Venezuelan UN diplomat turned Caracas dissident under the Nicholas Maduro regime, told Fox News Digital. « The recent U.S. Marine strike on the alleged Tren de Aragua narcotics vessel operated out of Venezuela under a regime deeply linked to crimes against humanity and narco-terrorism marked a turning point in the fight against international organized crime. »
President Donald Trump has made it clear since his first administration that he strongly opposes Maduro’s regime and even announced a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
