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US identifies facilities in Venezuela for potential airstrikes — WSJ

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly said the country faces the most serious threat of invasion by the United States in a century

NEW YORK, October 31. /TASS/. The US administration has identified facilities in Venezuela that are allegedly used for drug smuggling, and airstrikes may be launched against them, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing its sources close to the matter.

"The [US President Donald] Trump administration has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs," the US-based daily stated.

"If President Trump decides to move forward with airstrikes, they [sources] said, the targets would send a clear message to Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro that it is time to step down," the WSJ reported.

According to the daily, "While the [US] President hasn’t made a final decision on ordering land strikes, the officials said a potential air campaign would focus on targets that sit at the nexus of the drug gangs and the Maduro regime."

The daily’s sources pointed out that the potential targets under consideration include ports and airports under control of the Venezuelan military that are allegedly used to traffic drugs.

The Wall Street Journal quoted White House Spokeswoman Anna Kelly as saying: "President Trump has been clear in his message to Maduro: stop sending drugs and criminals to our country."

"The President is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our homeland," she added.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly said the country faces the most serious threat of invasion by the United States in a century. Washington, in turn, has declared Caracas is not doing enough to combat drug trafficking.

The US Navy has deployed eight ships, including one nuclear submarine, and 10,000 troops to the Caribbean, where it has destroyed at least nine speedboats in international waters, detaining their occupants, who were accused without proof of smuggling drugs from Venezuela.

The New York Times reported earlier that US President Trump instructed his administration to halt all diplomatic efforts aimed at easing tensions. US media outlets also indicate that potential strikes against what they label as Venezuelan drug cartel sites could be launched within weeks.

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