Trump threatens Venezuela with ground military operations

TEHRAN (Iran News) Trump issued the threat in a speech at the White House on Saturday, claimin the operations might involve ground attacks, though he provided no details about the plan or its execution.

Anti-Venezuela rhetoric is common since Trump deployed warships and fighter jets in the Caribbean and ordered his military to launch attacks on Venezuelan boats under the pretext of targeting drug cartels, a move Caracas described as hegemonic in nature.

He has repeatedly defended the controversial strikes and held Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responsible for the wave of immigration and drug trafficking. “We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live, and we’re going to start that very soon,” said Trump to the press following a cabinet meeting earlier this week.

While the US military continues naval raids, Trump’s warning of ground invasion has deepened the concerns about the refugee and migrant crises. According to research by the Niskanen Center, the attacks could result in the deportation of three to four million Venezuelan immigrants from US soil.

On Wednesday, the US President also claimed that the operation had saved thousands of American lives, failing to provide any evidence and once again ignoring lawmakers’ demand for the full and unedited release of the first attack that took place on September 2.

Anti-Venezuela rhetoric is common since Trump deployed warships and fighter jets in the Caribbean and ordered his military to launch attacks on Venezuelan boats under the pretext of targeting drug cartels, a move Caracas described as hegemonic in nature.

He has repeatedly defended the controversial strikes and held Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responsible for the wave of immigration and drug trafficking. “We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live, and we’re going to start that very soon,” said Trump to the press following a cabinet meeting earlier this week.

While the US military continues naval raids, Trump’s warning of ground invasion has deepened the concerns about the refugee and migrant crises. According to research by the Niskanen Center, the attacks could result in the deportation of three to four million Venezuelan immigrants from US soil.