Venezuela’s military carried out a deadly strike against the National Liberation Army, or ELN, with support from U.S. intelligence and drones, four U.S. officials said. The attack took place on Friday, though the officials’ account was not previously public.
A rights group said the attack killed about two dozen people. The ELN, a Colombian rebel army, had operated across the border in Venezuela, where it trafficked cocaine and oversaw illicit gold mines under former president Nicolás Maduro.
The operation highlights the Trump administration’s growing involvement in Venezuela’s domestic affairs and its increasingly militarized approach to combating drug trafficking in Latin America, according to the report.
It was not the first joint U.S.-Venezuelan strike. In June, an operation by the two countries killed a leader of Tren de Aragua, a transnational gang. The New York Times also reported this week that the Trump administration is seeking to establish a long-term U.S. military presence in Venezuela.
Sources: The New York Times World.