The White House said Monday that Hegeseth had authorized the admiral in charge to carry out the attacks. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt did not say that Hegseth directly ordered the second strike, instead stressing that the admiral “acted within his authority and the law.” According to the minister, the amount of drugs coming into the country via sea has now fallen by 91 percent. The US has therefore taken a short break in attacks on drug smuggling boats, “because it is currently difficult to find boats that we can attack.”
Pope Leo XIV has asked US President Donald Trump not to violently overthrow Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. “It is better to look for ways of dialogue or perhaps to apply pressure, including economic pressure,” said the head of the Catholic Church on his return flight after his first trip abroad.
Washington should look for other ways to achieve change “if that is what they want in the United States.” According to the Pope, the US government’s signals in the conflict are unclear. On the one hand, there was a phone call between Trump and Maduro. On the other hand, there is a risk that a military operation could occur.
Trump has been tightening his tone and approach towards the South American country for weeks. Among other things, the USA relocated the world’s largest aircraft carrier “USS Gerald R. Ford” with other warships to the Caribbean. Washington justifies the operation with the fight against drug smugglers. Observers speculate that an attack on targets in Venezuela could be imminent. It is also suspected that the US government could seek a change of power in Caracas.
