Drug gangs have been enriched by record cocaine profits while funding for anti-trafficking NGOs has plummeted because of Donald Trump’s foreign-aid cuts https://t.co/L6iG8Geskj ...

Venezuela has become a major launchpad for huge volumes of cocaine shipped to West Africa, where jihadists are helping traffic it to Europe in record quantities. https://t.co/Oz1U9wtWVI ...

Security Landscape - Drug gangs and militias are now using drone attacks more frequently than the Colombian armed forces are using air strikes from helicopters and planes [1]

The president sent out that warning that everyone from airlines to drug traffickers should consider the airspace over Venezuela closed. Now, of course, the president has no authority over their skies, but his message comes as he has threatened US strikes inside the country. In addition to three months of attacks on boats he claims are transporting drugs.The Venezuelan government rejected this as interference from a foreign. ...

Security Landscape - Drug gangs and militias drone attacks vastly outnumber air strikes from helicopters and planes [1] - Colombia's armed forces previously held exclusive rights to air strikes from helicopters and planes [1]

Trump To Pardon Former Honduran President Serving 45-Year Drug Trafficking Sentence https://t.co/35dkgpME4t ...

President Trump says US land action against alleged drug trafficking networks in Venezuela will start "very soon". https://t.co/NUQEgHcPNQ ...

President Trump says US land action against alleged drug trafficking networks in Venezuela will start "very soon". https://t.co/ddaJ7HXuj9 ...

US-Latin America Relations & Drug Enforcement - The US Department of Justice (DOJ) argues that military actions against drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific are justified as self-defense on behalf of allies like Mexico and Colombia against cartel violence [3] - The DOJ's justification hinges on the argument that drug cartels are engaged in "armed violence," allowing the US to use lethal force [3] - The DOJ's legal framework relies on the premise that cartels are primarily focused on waging war rather than making money through drug trafficking [9] - The administration claims these allies requested help confidentially due to fear of cartel reprisals [8] Discrepancies & Lack of Evidence - President Trump's public explanation for the strikes focuses on preventing US overdose deaths, contrasting with the DOJ's justification based on assisting allies against cartel violence [1][4] - There is a lack of public evidence to support the claim that Mexico and Colombia specifically requested US military intervention to combat cartel violence [5][7] - The argument that cartels are primarily interested in waging war, rather than making money, is inconsistent with the historical understanding of Latin American drug gangs [6][9] International Law Concerns - Multiple organizations and voices have stated that these strikes are in violation of international law [6] - For the legal framework to be valid, there needs to be a specific request for help from the country where the US is intervening in an armed conflict [9]

US-Venezuela Relations & Drug Trafficking - The US designated a group allegedly tied to Venezuelan President Maduro as a foreign terrorist organization, though it's considered a loosely organized network of drug traffickers [1] - The US administration claims Maduro heads the group but hasn't provided specific evidence [2] - The term "cartel de loles" originated in the 1990s, referring to corrupt military officers and officials [2] - The US military buildup in the Caribbean has resulted in over 80 deaths [3] - Maduro has dismissed the US's actions as ridiculous [4] Analysis of the Designation - This is the first time the US has designated a government as a cartel [5] - While there's evidence of Venezuelan state complicity in drug trafficking, it's not on the scale of major cartels [6][7] - Between 8% and 24% of cocaine entering the US passes through the Caribbean near Venezuela [7] - A survey indicated that 56% of people believe military action in Venezuela wouldn't stop the flow of drugs into the US [8] - The designation is largely seen as a rhetorical move to pressure Maduro and potentially incite a coup [15] Potential Implications of the Designation - The FTO designation could allow the US to target "material enablers" doing business with the Maduro regime, potentially impacting companies like Chevron [18][19] - The Trump administration might use the designation to justify military action inside Venezuela [17] - Trump is reportedly considering a phone call with Maduro [20]