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The Trump administration has intensified military operations against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. In response, Venezuela is also detaining American citizens on a large scale.
According to a New York Times report, these arrests are taking place amid increased US military activities in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, which began in September.
The report states that so far 5 American citizens have been detained.
A US official told The New York Times that the circumstances of each case are different. Some of the arrests could lead to legitimate criminal charges, while US authorities are considering taking action against two Americans deemed wrongfully detained.
The US State Department and the US Embassy in Colombia did not comment on the arrests. At the same time, a US official told CNN that the investigation is ongoing into what these US citizens were doing in Venezuela at the time of their arrest, and in some cases, drug trafficking charges may be filed.
President Trump defended the military increase, saying it was necessary to stop drugs from coming into the United States, and described it as part of the fight against drug cartels.
US officials have also accused Maduro of narco-terrorism. In recent months, the US has carried out more than 30 attacks on boats believed to be involved in drug smuggling in an effort to break the drug supply chain.
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