The Justice Department and Department of Defense on Wednesday launched an operation against illegal drug traffickers taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis, top Trump administration officials said at a briefing.
“We came upon some intelligence some time ago that the drug cartels as the result of COVID-19 are going to try to take advantage of the situation and try to infiltrate additional drugs into our country,” said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at a White House press conference.
“You will not kill additional Americans,” he said.
“Thousands” of soldiers across all branches of the military are said to be involved in the operation, Mr. Milley said.
The operation will be run in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Naval ships and Air Force spy planes have been deployed.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper declined to say how long the operation would last.
Attorney General William Barr said illegal drugs flowing into the country have killed 70,000 people a year.
“The threat posed by the cartels is not just a law enforcement threat, but a public health crisis,” he said.
The move follows recent efforts by the Justice Department to crackdown on drug trafficking into the United States from the Caribbean.
Last week, the Justice Department unsealed a criminal indictment against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and a slew of government officials, accusing them of money laundering and drug-trafficking crimes.
The Department of Defense also offered a $15 million reward for information that will lead to his capture.
National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said the Maduro regime would be a target of the operation. One of the goals, he said, is to choke off the funds Mr. Maduro has generated through drug trafficking.
The move drew praise from Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, who said Mr. Maduro should have “concern” about the operation.
“It’s essential we continue all efforts to deny the Venezuelan narco-regime of financial support until democratic order and rule of law are restored,” he said in a statement.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.