New York Post: Trump again threatens Venezuela land strikes — and says Colombia also at risk

WASHINGTON — President Trump yet again threatened Tuesday to order strikes on land-based Venezuelan drug traffickers — and added that Colombian operators also are at risk.

Trump has threatened to order land strikes for months in an expansion of his military campaign bombing alleged drug boats in international waters.

Asked by a journalist about potential land strikes, Trump said he would order action “if we think they’re building mills for whether it’s fentanyl or cocaine.”

The president quickly pivoted from talking about Venezuela to Colombia, whose left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, has clashed with Trump.

“I hear Colombia, the country of Colombia, is making cocaine. They have cocaine manufacturing plants, and then they sell us the cocaine,” he said.

“Anybody that’s doing that and selling it into our country is subject to attack. No, not just Venezuela.”

Trump said on Oct. 23 that he was preparing to inform Congress of his plan to pursue land attacks inside Venezuela, but has held back as he attempts to negotiate the resignation and exile of longtime strongman Nicolás Maduro.

An administration official told The Post that Trump may order strikes inside Venezuela’s territorial waters before hitting land targets.

Since Sept. 2, the US military has attacked at least 22 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in international waters off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia, killing at least 83 people.