President Donald Trump denied a report published Thursday by the The Wall Street Journal that U.S. B-1 bombers were sent near Venezuela as tensions escalate with the nation led by President Nicolás Maduro.
The Journal reported that two Air Force B-1 bombers flew near Venezuela just days after other U.S. warplanes conducted an “attack demonstration” close to the South American country. The newspaper added that two Lancer bombers departed from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas and flew near Venezuelan territory while remaining in international airspace, citing a U.S. official and flight-tracking data.
Trump said, in part: "No, that's not accurate. But we're not happy with Venezuela."
Why It Matters
Trump's response came as he and Cabinet members discussed efforts to tackle drug cartels and transnational criminal gangs, an effort that has been given as the reasoning for targeting boats allegedly carrying drugs headed for the U.S. in and around the Caribbean in recent weeks. The operations form one of the biggest military operations by the U.S. in the region since the 1960s.
Trump Announcement on Anti-Cartel Force: What We Know
On Wednesday, the U.S. military carried out its ninth strike against an alleged drug-smuggling vessel, killing three people in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, marking an expansion of the Trump administration’s campaign against drug trafficking in South America.
Hegseth said the strike followed another attack Tuesday night in the same region that killed two people. Both operations were conducted in the eastern Pacific, a shift from the seven earlier U.S. strikes that targeted vessels in the Caribbean Sea. The series of attacks, which began last month, has left at least 37 people dead.
If the U.S. were to begin strikes or maneuvers on Venezuelan soil, it would mark a major shift in Trump's efforts to oust Maduro, whom the Trump administration has called a "narcoterrorist."
Per The Journal, two B-1 Lancers took off from Dyess on Thursday and flew near Venezuela in international air space. The aircraft can carry 75,000 pounds of bombs but can also be used for maritime surveillance.
Trump denied the report but said "we're not happy with Venezuela, for a lot of reasons." He said that strikes by land could be next, saying that the White House would "definitely" go to the House and Senate to tell lawmakers about it but that he did not necessarily think he needed their permission for a formal declaration of war.
It comes as part of a wider effort by the administration to tackle drug smuggling, with Hegseth explaining that taking control of the U.S.-Mexico border was also a vital factor in stemming the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S. that contribute to overdose deaths.
Trump praised the work of a combination of federal agencies that have been working to tackle drug organizations in recent months after designating multiple cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, which allows steeper penalties for those connected to the groups.
Hegseth and Trump compared the cartels to Al Qaeda, with the defense secretary promising to hunt down leaders of the groups.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said federal law enforcement was working hard to track down drug dealers and manufacturers across the country, while also touting a large amount of drugs taken off the streets in recent months. She, Trump and others at the table at the White House said they had acted quickly to undo damage done by the Biden administration.
While fentanyl-related deaths have spiked in recent years and the Biden administration struggled with the flow of the drug, overdose deaths began to rapidly decline before Trump returned to office.
What People Are Saying
The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement previously shared with Newsweek: "Colombia calls on the U.S. government to cease these attacks and urges it to respect the rules established by international law. The government reiterates its call to the United States to engage in dialogue through diplomatic channels to clarify such situations and to adopt comprehensive and effective strategies to continue the joint fight against drug trafficking in the region, as we have done for decades."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on Thursday: "Our message to these foreign terrorist organizations is we will treat you like we have treated Al Queda. We will find you, we will map your networks, we will hunt you down and we will kill you."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, during a press conference on Thursday: "There are international laws that dictate how authorities must act in cases of alleged illegal drug or weapons transport in international waters, and we have made this clear to the U.S. government."
What Happens Next
Trump suggested that operations will increase in the Caribbean and the Pacific in the coming days and weeks, promising to kill those who seek to bring drugs into the U.S.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
