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Venezuela Mobilizes Civilians as U.S. Counternarcotics Strikes Draw UN Scrutiny

Mounting legal scrutiny, including a formal UN inquiry request, tests Washington's justification for lethal strikes in Caribbean waters.

Overview

  • Venezuela conducted neighborhood weapons training for volunteers, while Nicolás Maduro released a letter rejecting narcotrafficking accusations and inviting President Donald Trump to dialogue.
  • Trump warned of "incalculable" consequences unless Caracas accepts deportees, as the U.S. maintains warships, a nuclear‑powered submarine and F‑35s in the Caribbean and claims at least three drug‑boat kills.
  • Venezuelan attorney general Tarek William Saab formally asked the UN to investigate the U.S. strikes, labeling them crimes against humanity.
  • UN human‑rights experts and several U.S. lawmakers questioned the legal basis for lethal action at sea, noting that counternarcotics operations typically require interdiction and arrests rather than strikes.
  • The Dominican Republic’s anti‑drug agency reported a U.S. air strike on a fast boat near Isla Beata carrying about a ton of cocaine, with investigators saying the vessel likely departed the Guajira region.