White House Vows To Use 'Every Element Of American Power' To Prevent Drugs From Entering U.S. As Tensions With Venezuela Escalate

A White House official said President Donald Trump is prepared to use "every element of American power" to prevent drugs from entering the U.S. as tensions with Venezuela escalate.

Speaking to The New York Times, the official noted that President Donald Trump has made it clear to Nicolas Maduro that he is serious about ending "Venezuelan narcotics trafficking."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that those who are north of Venezuela and intend to traffic drugs into the U.S. will be considered a legitimate target by the U.S. military.

Speaking to Fox News, Hegseth claimed that, before carrying out the strikes, the U.S. confirms "where they come from, who they work for, what they transport, how many people are on that ship."

"That's why the are clean and legitimate attacks in defense of the homeland. And we hope they deter these foreign terrorist organizations from doing so, because the American people deserve to be defended," Hegseth added.

The U.S. conducted a new strike on Friday as it ramps up pressure on the Venezuelan regime, with the Defense Secretary saying in a post that, "on President Trump's orders," he directed a "lethal, kinetic strike on a narco-trafficking vessel affiliated with Designated Terrorist Organizations in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility."

The outlet reported in the same piece that Trump has ended all diplomatic outreach to the country, instructing envoy Richard Grenell to cease all efforts as he grows frustrated with Maduro's reluctance to relinquish power.

Trump is also reportedly frustrated that Maduro keeps rejecting any ties with drug cartels, and his administration has drawn up multiple plans for an eventual escalation.

So far, the U.S. military has conducted at least four strikes on vessels it claimed were trafficking drugs that would ultimately end up in the U.S. However, some of the new plans could also seek the ousting of Maduro, the outlet added.

Top Venezuelan officials also seem to expect an escalation, with Venezuelan National Assembly President and chief government negotiator Jorge Rodríguez saying that the regime warned the U.S. about an alleged plan by "extremist sectors of the local right" to place explosives at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas.

Rodríguez said the Maduro regime had alerted Washington "through three different channels" about what he described as a "false flag operation" designed to harm Venezuelan interests. "We have also warned a European embassy so that it may communicate the gravity of this information to U.S. diplomatic personnel," he added.