US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that US forces attacked a third vessel in waters near the Caribbean Sea, not two as previously claimed.
The three vessels belonging to alleged drug traffickers came from Venezuela.
"We shot down ships. Actually, it was three ships, not two, but you saw two," Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for the United Kingdom for a state visit.
The president was asked about statements by Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, in which he accused the American of wanting to invade his country.
(Read also: Nicolás Maduro says the US is preparing a 'military aggression' against Venezuela and that international laws authorize it to confront it.)
"Stop sending members of the Tren de Aragua to the United States. Stop sending drugs to the United States," he responded.
Trump. The Republican addressed this third vessel one day after reporting that the U.S. military had attacked a boat, killing three people he called"terrorists."
Shortly afterward, in the Oval Office, he claimed that the destroyed boat was carrying cocaine and fentanyl.
Last Saturday, Caracas reported that a U.S. destroyer illegally boarded and seized for eight hours a Venezuelan vessel carrying nine fishermen who were, it emphasized, in the waters of the South American country.
However, the United States has yet to react. These attacks come amid escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela over the US military deployment in the Caribbean Sea, purportedly aimed at combating drug trafficking.
The Trump administration accuses Maduro of leading the so-called Cartel of the Suns, a claim denied by the Venezuelan government, and has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to the Venezuelan leader's capture.
Maduro stated this Monday that communications with the United States are "broken down" in the face of what he considers "aggression" by the North American nation, and added that Venezuela is now"more prepared" if an "armed struggle" were to arise.
