How did we tell us on the Venezuelan boat? What does it mean Conflict news

President Donald Trump released a video showing the United States Military strike On a boat in the Caribbean Sea, he says that he was disturbing the drug from Venezuela to the Treen de Aragua gang, raising fears of a Possible clash Between Venezuelan armies and the United States.

in mail On the social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said 11 people were killed on Tuesday. He wrote: “No American forces did not harm this strike. Please leave this as a notice of anyone until he considers drugs to the United States of America. Beware!”

The apparently carried out in international waters, an escalation of tensions between the Trump administration and Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, who was repeatedly accused by Trump with the help of international drug gangs.

The accident is the first known attack by the United States against alleged smugglers since the Trump administration began Increased military presence in the Caribbean Sea region Last month, to confront specific drug gangs as “drugist organizations”.

What happened?

Trump administration War ships sent She said to the southern Caribbean in August in an attempt to confront the threats of American national security posed by criminal organizations operating in the region.

The New York Times reported that Trump had a secret Guidance The Pentagon ordered the use of military force against some drug gangs in Latin America, which the United States considers “terrorist organizations”.

On Thursday, Reuters reported that seven American warships and a fast -powered nuclear -powered attack were heading to the Caribbean. More than 4,500 sailors and marine infantry on the ships.

Then on Tuesday, Trump announced the strike on the Venezuelan boat, which he said was transporting drugs.

What is Tren De Aragua and why does Trump connect to Maduro?

Trump has identified the people on the Venezuelan boat as the “specialists” who were “at sea in international waters that transport illegal drugs, heading to the United States.”

Tren De Aragua is one of the most famous criminal organizations in Venezuela with operations spread throughout Latin America.

The gang arose in the early first decade of the twentieth century between prisoners of prison in Aragoa, the gang initially controlled blackmail and extortion networks inside prisons before expanding abroad.

Today, a diverse criminal empire that extends to drug trafficking, human smuggling, extortion, illegal mining, and killings.

The group is especially active along the migration methods, and it takes advantage of the vulnerable refugees and migrants through kidnapping, forced work and sex trafficking.

The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that there is a direct link between groups such as Trin de Aragoa and Venezuela government. According to Trump, Maduro controls the gang as part of the “drug” trick to destabilize the United States.

On August 7, US state and justice administrations doubled their reward for information that led to the arrest of Maduro to 50 million dollars, accusing him of “one of the largest drug pioneers in the world.”

For his part, Maduro denies any link to the group. At least two reports of the American intelligence community also contradict the Trump administration.

In May, a report of the National Intelligence Council, which was raised, found that the Maduro government “may not have a policy to cooperate with” Trine de Aragoa. “

The report also said that Maduro “does not direct” the gang operations in the United States, although it admits that Venezuela provides a “lenient environment” that allows TRID Aragua to work.

What does the United States’ strike mean for Venezuela’s American relations?

The American publication raised concerns about the escalating tensions with Venezuela after Maduro urged millions of Venezuelan in August Join the national “militias” To defend Venezuela in response to Washington’s new aggressive operations to combat Caribbean anti -Caribbean.

In the period before the American strike on the Venezuelan boat this week, Maduro said on August 25: “You will not touch the Empire of the Holy Soil of Venezuela.”

Venezuelan President The United States government has been accused for a long time From interfering in his country’s policy on behalf of the political opposition. In the remarks last week, Trump also accused of “searching for a change in the regime through a military threat.”

Meanwhile, Trump adopted the same campaign “The Fragrance of pressure”, which defined his foreign policy towards Venezuela during his first term. It included Increase penalties On the country of Latin America.

Nevertheless, the American Energy Group Chevron returned to Venezuela in July after a three -month period after Trump’s decision in February to cancel the American treasury license that allowed the oil giant to export crude from Venezuela despite US sanctions.

Trump canceled the current license, which was issued during the administration of President Joe Biden in 2022, as he considered “failure” by Maduro in implementing electoral reforms and accepting the Venezuelan who were deported from the United States, forcing Chevron to stop and reduce their activities.

But after intense pressure, Chevron was granted a new license bound by the Treasury to export Venezuelan crude. This decision It was considered to be up to the level of sanctions on the oil sector in Venezuela.

While the accurate licensing conditions are still unknown, the experts said that the agreement will achieve benefits for the economy of Venezuela, which suffers from debt where Chevron is expected to send 200,000 barrels of oil per day from Venezuela to international markets.

Christopher Spatini, older research colleague in Latin America in Chatham House, said the Trump administration is facing “competing goals” in Venezuela.

Sabatini told Al -Jazeera that the last treasury step to restore Chevron’s license (albeit bound) “is partially recognition of the failure of previous sanctions” as much as it waives control of Venezuelan oil assets from Chevron to “governments opposing American interests, … China, Russia and Iran.”

He added that “by filling this fleet (in the Caribbean region), the administration is also trying to intimidate Maduro to change the potential system.” Sabatini said that the reality is that the Trump policy approach to the two parts “” risks that cause unintended conflict with Venezuela. “

How are the United States relations with the rest of the region?

In talks with leaders of Mexico and Ecuador, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will explain this week for widespread cooperation in immigration and drug trafficking, which the Trump administration is seen as decisive to security throughout the Americas.

Experts said that Rubio’s trip on Wednesday and Thursday is likely to be complicated because of the fact that Trump shook many leaders across the region with a comprehensive tariff for not complying with his geopolitical goals.

Sabatini said the main problemand It is that “the demands are an influential and vulnerable goal of Donald Trump’s whims.”

In the case of Brazil, for example, Trump slapped 50 percent customs tariff On the country’s goods in August, partial revenge for the government’s pursuit of criminal charges against the former president Gear BolsonaroTrump ally.

Looking at the future, Sabatini expected the countries in Latin America to “slow down their responses to Trump without outperforming his pressure, … (may lead to) geopolitical instability.”