US rehearsing airstrikes against Venezuela – WSJ
The US has been rehearsing airstrikes it plans to launch in Venezuela in recent weeks, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Saturday, citing a defense official and flight-tracking data.
President Donald Trump has accused the Venezuelan government of operating “narcoterrorist” cartels and on Saturday announced that the country’s airspace would be closed to “all airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers.”
The threat came amid a buildup of US naval forces in the Caribbean Sea, where, under Trump’s orders, more than 20 alleged drug-smuggling vessels have been struck since September.
According to the WSJ, Trump told Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during last week’s secret phone call that he would consider ousting him unless he stepped down.
While neither side has confirmed that the conversation took place, Trump has previously denied seeking to topple Maduro by force. In August, the US increased the bounty for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.
On Saturday, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry rejected the threat against its aircraft as “colonialist” aggression, illegal under international law. Maduro has placed the army on high alert and held several drills, vowing to repel any invasion.
The Venezuelan government has denied allegations of aiding cartels and argued that Trump is using a crackdown on drug trafficking as a pretext for regime change.
