Trump’s Non-Intervention Policy in Venezuela
Senator Markwayne Mullin stated on Sunday that President Trump has no intentions of launching an attack on Venezuela.
The Oklahoma Republican dismissed fears of a U.S. invasion as Trump continues to conduct airstrikes targeting suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
“No, he’s made it clear, we’re not going to put troops into Venezuela. What we’re trying to do is protect our own shores,” Mullin explained during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
This weekend, Trump intensified his rhetoric against Venezuela and its leader, Nicolás Maduro, by announcing that the airspace over the South American nation is effectively closed.
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Mullin noted that while Trump aims to restrict international waters from drug traffickers, some have found ways to smuggle drugs onto planes.
“So the president has made it very clear, he’s shutting down the airspace,” Mullin reiterated.
The senator emphasized that efforts to combat smugglers should be viewed as actions against Maduro’s regime rather than against the Venezuelan populace.
“We gave Maduro an opportunity to leave,” Mullin remarked. “The Venezuelan people themselves have spoken up and said they want a new leader.”
Some lawmakers are raising questions about the legality of Trump’s operations against alleged drug smugglers.
Senator Mark Kelly from Arizona expressed concern regarding reports suggesting U.S. military commanders ordered a second strike aimed at eliminating survivors from an initial attack on a suspected smuggling vessel.
If true, Kelly warned that such actions could constitute a war crime. “I’ve got serious concerns about anybody in that chain of command stepping over a line that they should never step over,” he told CNN. “We are not Russia; we’re not Iraq. We hold ourselves to a very high standard of professionalism.”
