U.S. Rules Out Strikes in Venezuela as Military Build-Up Intensifies:

The White House has denied that the U.S. is considering military strikes inside Venezuela, even as a large-scale U.S. military deployment continues in the region. President Donald Trump, when asked aboard Air Force One on Friday whether media reports of strikes were accurate, replied simply: “No.” Earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the administration’s stance, calling a report in the Miami Herald “fake,” and accusing sources of being misled into writing a false story. The article had claimed that U.S. forces were poised to launch strikes on Venezuelan territory — a notion both officials rejected. The denials appear to contrast with previous statements from President Trump. Just weeks ago, he had indicated that to combat drug trafficking, the U.S. might act without a formal declaration of war. “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them,” he said, adding: “Now they [drugs] are coming in by land … you know, the land is going to be next.” Despite these remarks, the Pentagon has yet to present clear public evidence supporting its claim that the U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific are linked to drug-smuggling operations. Since early September, U.S. forces say they have destroyed 14 vessels and killed at least 62 people in operations targeting alleged drug smuggling. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has condemned the attacks — stating that whatever the alleged criminal conduct, extrajudicial killings at sea are “unacceptable” and must be halted. Meanwhile, U.S. naval power is visibly on display near Venezuela’s coast. The 100,000-ton aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is en route to the region, while fighter jets, warships and thousands of U.S. troops have also been deployed to the Caribbean. The large build-up has triggered concern in neighboring countries. On Friday, the neighboring nation of Trinidad and Tobago elevated its military to “State One Alert Level,” restricted all leave and recalled personnel to their bases. The move followed Venezuela’s decision to suspend a major gas supply deal with Trinidad and Tobago, citing concerns about the U.S. warship presence near its coast. Back at home in the U.S., public support for the naval deployment is waning. A new poll by YouGov showed just 30 percent of Americans now approve of the U.S. Navy’s presence around Venezuela, down from 36 percent in September, while opposition holds at 37 percent. The decline comes amid questions in Congress over the legal basis for the operations. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jack Reed (D-RI), respectively the chair and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have jointly pressed the Pentagon for detailed documentation on the strikes, citing a lack of transparency. For now, the White House denial of planned strikes inside Venezuela stands — even as military activity in the region remains intense and diplomatic tensions mount.

NEWS