Author: LaTabla/Data Journalism Platform 3 SEP 2025
As President Donald Trump faced international scrutiny after announcing a drug operation on September 2 that resulted in 11 deaths and lacked verifiable data, the U.S. Coast Guard demonstrated a week earlier—on August 25—how to successfully carry out interdictions: seizing 34.5 tons of drugs valued at $473 million off the coast of Venezuela (and other parts of the Caribbean), with international coordination and no human casualties.
This contradiction highlights two opposing models: one that is technical and cooperative, and another defined by opacity and lethal force.
The Coast Guard operation—documented in an official report of 19 interdictions between June and August—details precise intercepts 15 miles off Aragua and 52 miles off Carabobo (Venezuela), with support from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and the Netherlands. It involved the use of non-lethal force, photographic evidence, and precise evaluations of each drug shipment. Trump, on the other hand, presented an unverified video, lacking specifics on seized drugs or explanations of the force protocols used.
This operational divergence had immediate consequences: while the Coast Guard received praise from allied governments, Trump’s action led to the mobilization of 4.5 million militia members in Venezuela and accusations of “setup with artificial intelligence.” Analysts point out that the contrast is not only operational but also one of credibility: one model prioritizes evidence and cooperation; the other focuses on geopolotical narratives devoid of technical support.