US EditionTrump Has Accused Boat Crews of Being Narco-Terrorists. The Truth, AP Found, Is More Nuanced
U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats killed over 60 people since early September, targeting vessels allegedly transporting cocaine from Venezuela to the U.S. and Caribbean.
- Last month, the U.S. military blew up 17 vessels off Venezuela's Paria Peninsula, killing more than 60 people including fishermen and residents.
- The Trump administration declared drug cartels `unlawful combatants` and said the U.S. is in an `armed conflict` with them; officials say multiple craft were targeted in the Caribbean Sea, with at least three departing Venezuela.
- Relatives and acquaintances reconstructed victims' identities, confirming deaths via social posts; Robert Sánchez, fisherman from Gúiria, earned about $100 a month before joining smuggling crews.
- Villagers and families, fearing reprisals, sought information through social posts and word-of-mouth as relatives of the dead said they were incensed over no due process and Venezuelan officials called the strikes `extrajudicial executions`.
- The Justice Department doubled a reward to $50 million as the U.S. military built up forces near Venezuela, while President Donald Trump said each sunken boat saved 25,000 American lives and traffickers stayed ashore.
44 Articles
44 Articles
AP Investigation Shows People Operating Targeted Boats In The Caribbean Were 'Running Drugs' But Claims 'Reality Is More Nuanced'
A new investigation revealed that people operating boats targeted by U.S. strikes were indeed running drugs, but were not high-up in criminal organizations
Associated Press News
Trump has accused boat crews of being narco-terrorists. The truth, AP found, is more nuanced
One was a fisherman struggling to eke out a living on $100 a month. Another was a career criminal. A third was a former military cadet.
Venezuela’s Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, questioned Wednesday that the UN “only” pronounces itself on U.S. attacks on boats allegedly linked to drug trafficking in Caribbean and Pacific waters, and urged the multilateral agency to do “something” about it.
Venezuela’s Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, questioned Wednesday that the UN “only” will pronounce itself on the U.S. attacks on boats allegedly linked to drug trafficking in Caribbean and Pacific waters, so he urged the multilateral body to “do something” about it. After reading a statement by the High Commissioner [...] El entrada Diosdado Cabello questions that the UN “only” will pronounce itself on U.S. attacks on boats was first publis…
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