The director of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Terry Cole, accused Venezuela on Thursday, August 21, of collaborating with Colombian guerrillas like the National Liberation Army (ELN) to send “record amounts of cocaine” to Mexican cartels that traffic into the United States.
“Venezuela has turned into a narcoterrorist state that continues to collaborate with FARC and ELN from Colombia to send record quantities of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexican cartels, which are still entering the United States,” Cole stated in an interview with Fox News.
Cole also mentioned that despite President Donald Trump’s administration strengthening efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks, especially at borders, in 2025 they have “seized more cocaine than in previous years” and warned that “the amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl entering the country is continuing to increase.
“Corruption in Venezuela, the Venezuelan dictatorship, is narcoterrorist. They keep sending this poison to the United States, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, not to mention members of the (gang) Tren de Aragua being sent to our country to destroy its beautiful streets,” he warned, echoing Trump’s claims.
Cole’s accusations against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro come after White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated on Tuesday that Washington is ready to “use all its power” to stop the “flow of drugs into the country.”
“President Trump has been very clear and consistent; he is ready to use every means of American power to prevent drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice,” Leavitt said.
In recent days, Washington has deployed three warships near the coasts of Venezuela as part of its efforts to combat drug trafficking. The three ships, equipped with Aegis guided missile systems, are heading to Caribbean waters near Venezuela.
Moreover, the Trump administration will raise the reward to $50 million for “information leading to the arrest” of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is accused by U.S. justice of alleged ties to drug trafficking.
In light of recent measures taken by the United States, Venezuela has claimed that Washington’s “threats” reveal its “lack of credibility” and jeopardize the “peace and stability” of the entire region.
USS Iwo Jima assault ship. Photo: Commander Naval Surface Force Atlantic
On Thursday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López stated that the United States wants to “force a regime change” in the South American country.
“They want to force a regime change in Venezuela; they want to destroy the Constitution and create a new (Constitution) neoliberal that obeys the interests of empires,” he asserted.
The governments of Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Colombia have condemned the presence of U.S. warships in the Caribbean, and President Gustavo Petro stated that a U.S. invasion of Venezuela would turn that country into another Syria and drag Colombia into another conflict.
AFP and EFE