US President Donald Trump has launched a sweeping War on Drugs Venezuela campaign, triggering strong reactions at home and abroad. Trump announced the operation on November 29 and directed the US military and diplomatic corps to dismantle drug networks linked to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
He declared the Venezuelan Cartel of the Suns a foreign terrorist organisation. He then sent Marines to the Caribbean and deployed warships to block suspected trafficking routes. The White House said these actions aim to stop the flow of cocaine into the United States.
The crackdown took an unexpected turn when Trump granted a full pardon to former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández. A US federal court convicted Hernández in 2024 for helping smuggle massive amounts of cocaine into the country. He had received a 45-year prison sentence after his 2022 extradition.
Trump announced the pardon while endorsing Honduran conservative candidate Nasry Asfura. Analysts say the timing boosts the right-wing campaign just days before the national election. Prosecutors had asked the judge to keep Hernández in prison for life due to his deep ties to traffickers.
US Senator Tim Kaine condemned the pardon and said it exposes major contradictions in Trump’s anti-drug agenda.
