Trump says U.S. may expand anti-cartel operations to land

President Donald Trump suggested the United States may soon shift its anti-cartel operations from sea to land, after recent military strikes on suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean.

“In recent weeks, the Navy has supported our mission to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water,” Trump said during remarks at the Navy’s 250th anniversary celebration. “We can’t find any [boats] anymore. Even fishing boats, nobody wants to go into the water anymore.”

“They’re not coming in by sea anymore,” Trump said. “So now we’ll have to start looking about the land because they’ll be forced to go by land.”

His comments come as U.S. forces continue a series of airstrikes targeting suspected drug boats off the coast of Venezuela and elsewhere in the Caribbean.

On Friday, the Department of War confirmed a strike that killed four people described as “narco-terrorists” aboard a vessel in international waters. It was the fourth confirmed attack under Washington’s expanded anti-cartel campaign.

Trump also mentioned “another one last night” during his speech, though it remains unclear if he was referring to the previously announced strike or a new one. The Department of War has not confirmed any additional operations.

The maritime campaign began after the United States deployed warships to the Caribbean to target drug routes linked to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua network, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organization.

U.S. officials have described the group as one of the region’s most violent criminal organizations, accusing it of trafficking drugs, weapons, and people under the direction of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.