US President Donald Trump has for months threatened to launch strikes on targets on Venezuelan land.
The US military has been attacking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since early September.
As of Friday, the number of known boat strikes was 35 and the number of people killed was at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.
They followed a major buildup of American forces in the waters off South America, including the arrival in November of the nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier, which added thousands more troops to what was already the largest military presence in the region in generations.
Trump has justified the boat strikes as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the US is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
The US president has accused Venezuela of using oil revenues to fund an array of criminal activities, including drug trafficking and terrorism.
As part of Trump’s pressure campaign, the US has also seized two oil tankers and sanctioned Maduro’s relatives, as well as Chinese companies trading with Venezuela.
Pedestrians are seen running after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas.Credit: AP
The country has denied the allegations and called the US actions illegal.
At least seven oil tankers bound for Venezuela turned back on Friday, according to ship movements tracked Friday by Bloomberg, as tensions between the US and the South American country increased. That adds to four that halted journeys to Venezuela in the immediate aftermath of US forces boarding the vessel Skipper in mid-December.
Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported on the explosions in Caracas on Saturday, showing images of the Venezuelan capital. Iran has been close to Venezuela for years, in part due to their shared enmity of the US.
Soldiers have been seen guarding the presidential palace.Credit: AP
AP, Bloomberg, Reuters
