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US senator says US has no plans to send troops to Venezuela

Markwayne Mullin added that the Venezuelan people were not the target of the US actions

NEW YORK, December 1. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has no plans to send troops to Venezuela, Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin told CNN.

"He’s been very clear: we’re not going to put troops into Venezuela. What we’re trying to do is protect our own shores," he said, when asked if the US president was planning to attack Venezuela.

The senator also noted that the US leader had shut down Venezuela’s airspace.

Mullin added that the Venezuelan people were not the target of the US actions.

Washington blames the Venezuelan authorities for failing to do enough to combat drug trafficking. According to The New York Times, Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela. US media outlets have repeatedly reported that the US may soon start carrying out strikes on targets in the country. Trump said on November 27 that efforts for strikes on land were going to start "very soon" but did not elaborate.

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