Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova issued a statement on Friday declaring that Moscow was “ready” to act to defend socialist Venezuela, an apparent threat to the administration of President Donald Trump, which has taken decisive military action against Venezuela-linked drug trafficking.
The statement was published in English on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s social media pages and emphasized support for socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro and the “sovereignty” of the country, under the yoke of his illegitimate regime.
“We support the leadership of Venezuela in defending its national sovereignty, taking into account the dynamics of the international & regional situation,” the statement, attributed to Zakharova, read. “We stand ready to respond appropriately to the requests of our partners in light of emerging threats.”
The statement did not specify what “threats” were “emerging,” but the Venezuelan regime has made clear through vocal and repeated accusations that it considers American military activity in international Caribbean waters, intended to prevent shipments of narcotics into the United States, a direct threat to Venezuela itself. President Trump has authorized a growing number of strikes against vessels known to be transporting narcotics into the United States. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has identified the vessels targeted as known narco-terrorist assets and compared the groups involved – such as Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the Cartel of the Suns, to Al Qaeda.
The Cartel of the Suns is a multi-continental cocaine trafficking organization indistinguishable in its structure from the Venezuelan government. The group obtained its name from the sun medallions that Venezuelan soldiers wear; one of Maduro’s top socialist henchman, Diosdado Cabello, has long been suspected of being the organization’s leader. Maduro himself is believed to be heavily involved in drug trafficking. As a result, the United States has an active $50 million bounty out for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and/or conviction.
Wanted poster for Nicolas Maduro. (State.gov)
Maduro is also believed to be linked to the Tren de Aragua, once a local gang in the eponymous Aragua state of Venezuela, that became an international menace after Maduro thugs launched a “raid” on the Tocorón prison, where the leadership of the gang was housed, that allowed them to escape.
“President Trump believes that Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate president leading an illegitimate regime that has been trafficking drugs to the United States of America for far too long, and we’re not going to tolerate it,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt told reporters on October 16.
Maduro and his regime have rejected all evidence linking it to illicit drug trafficking and gang activity, claiming it is all a “Hollywood” fabrication by the CIA.
The government of Russia has long been among Maduro’s top supporters and has consistently objected to the American strikes in the Caribbean, on the other side of the planet from Moscow. On October 23, Zakharova told reporters during her regular briefing that Russia was “concerned” about targeted attacks on drug traffickers and supported the local regime.
“We stand for the stable and independent future of that region and for the peaceful and civilized settlement of all differences,” Zakharova said. “As we stated earlier during the UN Security Council sessions on October 10 and 17, we reiterate our unwavering and firm support for the leadership of Venezuela as it defends its national sovereignty.”
Zakharova also claimed that the United States was targeting innocent fishermen, a talking point out of Caracas debunked by local journalists, who interviewed fishermen closest to the strikes who accused the regime, not the United States, of persecuting them. Speaking to the independent Venezuelan outlet Runrunes this week, fishermen in Falcón state and their families said the Maduro regime is attempting to frame them for drug trafficking, planting drugs in their homes and arresting them to give the appearance to Washington that it is taking action to contain illicit activity.
“The threat is here. We don’t see the gringos,” one fisherman told the outlet anonymously. “But police and military are out there conducting combat exercises, arming the community, and carrying out procedures that end up involving us fishermen. And we have nothing to do with it.”
“Uniformed officers come at night to take away humble people and fishermen. People who live from day to day, from fishing, with the sole aim of taking their money,” another woman who did not feel safe enough to share her name said in the report.
During a press conference this week, President Trump said that the attacks on actual drug traffickers by the U.S. military have been so successful that troops are having a hard time finding new targets.
“He’s so happy now,” Trump said of Hegseth. “Those drug ships aren’t coming in anymore. We can’t find a ship. There’s no ships coming in with drugs. It’s like he’s been incredible. So thank you very much, Pete. You gave up a lot. We appreciate it. Thank you.”
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