The U.S. attack on Venezuela and apprehension of President Nicolás Maduro on drug trafficking and other charges was preceded by an escalating pressure campaign against Maduro as the United States built up naval forces in the region, seized oil tankers and destroyed boats that the U.S. alleged were carrying drugs.
U.S. officials have confirmed 36 strikes on suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since the Trump administration launched the operation against alleged traffickers in September. The death toll has risen to at least 125.
Originally published at Washington Post
