Stephen Miller Has Reportedly Superseded Marco Rubio In Directing U.S. Strikes Against Suspected Venezuelan Drug Boats

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has superseded Secretary of State Marco Rubio in directing strikes against suspected Venezuelan drug boats, according to a new report.

The Guardian detailed that Miller is playing a key role in shaping the aggressive policy through the homeland security council, which he leads. The outlet added that Miller empowered the agency to become its own entity, allowing it to take the lead in the attacks.

One such episode took place on September 15, when the U.S. hit a Venezuelan boat for the second time since the Trump administration deployed vessels and troops in the Caribbean, when several top White House officials learned of the impending strike hours before it took place.

Miller has claimed that a "drug cartel" is running Venezuela. "It is not a government, it is a drug cartel, a narco-trafficking organization that is running Venezuela," he told reporters earlier this month. The White House has made similar claims throughout the past months.

In contrast, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez accused Donald Trump of leading the world to a "stage where the United States has openly declared war on the world."

Speaking to The New York Times, Rodriguez noted that the "Ministry of Defense is no longer Defense, it's the Ministry of War," and that "trade relations are no longer trade relations, they are a trade war."

She went on to say that the U.S. attacks on vessels departing Venezuela were "absolutely illegal" and claimed the American population "does not want war in the Caribbean."

In this context, over half of Venezuelans believe President Nicolas Maduro will fall within the next six months, according to a new poll. Moreover, a little over a third (36%) are confident he will be ousted within three months.

The survey, conducted by London-based research firm Panterra and released this week, showed that almost two thirds of the 1,200 respondents (63%) say Maduro is not the country's legitimate president.

Elsewhere in the poll, 61% said the Maduro regime is weaker than a year ago. Only 11% claimed it is stronger. "The sense that the regime is weakening is widespread," David Bluestone, managing director of Panterra told the Miami Herald. "People are seeing some of the recent moves by the regime as showing their weakness, not showing their strength."