Trump confirms imminent offensive against drug trafficking in Venezuela: 'We're taking those son of a bitches out'

President Donald Trump reiterated Tuesday that the United States is getting ready to launch ground operations against narco-trafficking drug cartels in Venezuela, a step that would expand the military campaign that in recent months has destroyed drug trafficking-linked vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific.

"On land it's much easier," Trump said during a meeting with his Cabinet at the White House. "We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live. And we're going to start that very soon, too."

Reinforcement of warnings and expansion of the campaign

The president had already advanced last week that the Armed Forces are prepared to execute direct actions in Venezuelan territory. In addition, he asked pilots and airlines to treat the South American country's airspace as "closed in its entirety."

During the meeting, Trump noted that the central objective of these operations is to stem the flow of drugs which, he said, caused more than 200,000 deaths last year in the United States. He assured that recent attacks have begun to reduce those numbers and that the ground phase will allow for even more progress. He also said he seeks to prevent American families from continuing to lose young people to adulterated pills that cause death in seconds. "We're not going to let it continue to happen," he said.

"We're taking those son of a bitches out," he added, referring to the criminal groups he accuses of operating drug trafficking routes into the United States.