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The United States military launched a new attack against a vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea, near the shores of Venezuela.
"The U.S. military attacked another ship in the Caribbean on Thursday, near the coast of Venezuela." reported CBS News, adding that "for the first time, survivors are being reported."
The attack, carried out by members of the Southern Command, is the sixth known operation in the region since last month, and the first in which not all occupants were killed.
The information emerged through reports disseminated by American officials via U.S. media, as well as the agencies Reuters and EFE.
The authorities have not specified how many people were on board or the exact number of injured or survivors.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment, reported Reuters and CBS News.
Since the beginning of this military offensive, at least 27 people have died in five previous attacks in waters near Venezuela.
A pattern of attacks and Washington's justification
The government of President Donald Trump has justified these operations on the grounds that the United States is engaged in “a non-international armed conflict” with drug-terrorist organizations based in Venezuela, which—according to the Republican administration—legitimizes the use of military force.
Trump has posted on his Truth Social account videos of some previous attacks, describing the deceased as "narcotraffickers" and claiming that the destroyed vessels were carrying drugs.
However, this time the president has not released any statement regarding the attack, which marks a difference from previous operations that he usually announced personally or showcased in video.
EFE and CBS agree that the incident was not officially communicated, and that the available information comes solely from U.S. officials speaking on the condition of anonymity.
That lack of information has fueled uncertainty about what happened.
The identity of the survivors has not been revealed, nor has it been disclosed whether they were rescued by U.S. forces or by other vessels in the area.
The details of the confrontation and the fate of the attacked ship are also unknown.
The CIA and Covert Operations in Venezuela
The new attack comes a day after Trump confirmed that he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, citing reasons of "fighting drug trafficking and migration control."
"Why did you authorize the CIA to enter Venezuela?" asked a journalist during a conference at the White House.
Trump responded: "In fact, I authorized it for two reasons. First, they have emptied their prisons into the United States. And the other reason is drugs. We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela."
In Caracas, the announcement was received as a direct threat.
President Nicolás Maduro accused Washington of attempting to overthrow him and warned that he is preparing to "declare a state of emergency in response to American aggression."
During a public event, Maduro stated: “The United States government decides to send the CIA to Venezuela. No previous government, since the existence of the CIA, has publicly stated that it sends the CIA to kill, overthrow, and destroy countries.”
Military escalation in the Caribbean
The diplomatic conflict unfolds alongside an unprecedented military deployment.
Since August, the U.S. Southern Command has increased its presence in the Caribbean with destroyers equipped with guided missiles, a nuclear submarine, F-35 aircraft, B-52 strategic bombers, and about 10,000 personnel.
On Wednesday, two B-52 bombers from Louisiana flew approximately 240 kilometers north of the Venezuelan coast.
A senior U.S. official described the maneuver as "a show of force."
At the same time, elite aviation units of the Army's Special Operations conducted training flights in the southern Caribbean Sea, near oil and gas platforms, according to The Washington Post.
Rising tensions and mutual accusations
The Caracas government accuses Washington of attempting to provoke a regime change.
Maduro compared the situation to the CIA's covert operations in Latin America during the 20th century: "In Venezuela, there are no coups organized by the CIA, which remind us so much of the 30,000 disappeared during the coups in Argentina and in Chile under Pinochet."
For its part, the Trump administration claims that the actions aim to dismantle drug trafficking networks linked to the Cartel of the Suns, which Washington associates with high-ranking Venezuelan military officials.
The U.S. military deployment began just days after U.S. authorities raised the reward to $50 million for information leading to Maduro's capture.
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