Trump stated that large amounts of drugs used to enter by sea, mainly through the Caribbean, but after attacks on several vessels, no drugs are coming in through that route anymore. Image: FoxNews screenshot
Guacamaya, September 30, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump made statements this Tuesday asserting that his administration will now focus its anti-drug efforts on cartels operating by land. When asked whether he would target “drug trafficking gangs” in Venezuela, Trump responded that after successfully sinking vessels transporting drugs by sea, “it’s time to look at the cartels.”
“Venezuela has been very dangerous with drugs and other things. They’ve been very, very dangerous. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump said before traveling to Virginia to address the country’s top military leaders. “Now we’re going to deal very seriously with the cartels coming by land,” he added, noting that after attacking several boats, no drugs are entering through that route.
Later, during his remarks at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, Trump again mentioned Venezuela, accusing the country of sending its prison population to U.S. territory. “Venezuela emptied its prison population into our country. Each drug boat from Venezuela kills about 25,000 people. Mostly fentanyl. We took them out. We’ve eliminated four,” Trump said.
His statements come amid rising tensions over the fight against drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere and Venezuela’s role in that context. The U.S. has ramped up its narrative against what it calls the “Cartel of the Suns,” a drug trafficking organization allegedly led by President Nicolás Maduro. The Venezuelan government denies these accusations.
Since August, Trump ordered the deployment of U.S. armed forces in the Caribbean Sea, near Venezuela’s territorial waters. The operation resulted in the destruction of several vessels allegedly linked to drug trafficking in international waters—actions Trump described as lethal, leaving several “narco-terrorists” dead.
The U.S. president has insisted on eliminating the targeted groups, identifying them as a serious threat to national security. In his speech, Trump also intensified explicit threats toward Maduro and his government. With these recent remarks, Trump signals at least a tactical shift in tensions with Venezuela.
It’s worth noting the ambiguity in Trump’s rhetoric regarding the anti-drug strategy. While he emphasizes a shift in focus toward cartels and land-based smuggling, he rarely specifies whether he’s referring exclusively to Venezuela. He often uses phrases like “we’ll see what happens” or “we’ll deal with it very seriously,” without committing to concrete details.
