Trump says US to start land strikes against drug cartels

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States would begin carrying out land strikes against drug trafficking cartels.

"We've knocked out 97 percent of the drugs coming in by water, and we are gonna start now hitting land with regard to the cartels," Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

"The cartels are running Mexico," he added, without providing further details about the plans.

His remarks followed a months-long US military operation targeting vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea as well as last week's raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The couple were later transferred to New York to face what Washington described as "drug trafficking" and other federal charges.

During the interview, Trump said that the United States would earn a large sum from selling Venezuelan oil.

"We are taking billions and billions of dollars' worth of oil," he said. "It'll be trillions of dollars, but we're going to be there till we straighten out the country."

Trump also said he's expecting US oil companies to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry.

According to media reports, the White House is scrambling to broaden a meeting with oil executives scheduled for Friday amid skepticism from major oil companies.

Trump said he looks forward to "saying hello" to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who is expected to arrive in Washington next week. Trump previously dismissed the option of working with Machado, saying, "She doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country."

He again ruled out the possibility of an election in the oil-rich South American country in the near future.

Earlier on Thursday, US Vice President JD Vance said that currently part of his job is "to try to ensure that Venezuela is stable" and to ensure that the acting Venezuelan government "actually listens to the United States and does what the United States needs it to do under our country's best interest."