Trump warns Congress: US ready to strike again at narco-terrorists. Washington has spoken: the Cartel of the Suns is no longer a "regional" problem. It's a global terrorist threat. Trump has invoked self-defense to attack Venezuelan drug boats.

@Dcabellor: We've currently seized 60 tons of drugs in various operations. That's the largest amount we've captured since 2010, six years after breaking with the DEA, the international drug trafficking agency.

Maduro denounces that Venezuela is under threat of war from the United States.

Venezuela's state-owned National Electric Corporation (Corpoelec) denounced this Tuesday, September 16, a "new terrorist attack" against two of its main 765 kV (kilovolt) transmission lines, the second of its kind in less than a week. In a statement, the company called it an "extremist attack" against "infrastructure of vital importance to the flow of electrical energy in the country." This attack, it continued, is part of "a fascist strategy aimed at destabilizing the peace and national unity that will prevail in the face of external threats." "These attacks constitute a manifestation of the electrical war, promoted by groups operating in the service of dark interests and destabilizing agendas.

The Colombian Supreme Court has denied the extradition request to Venezuela of alias "Larry Changa," co-founder and leader of the Aragua Train.

Trump dismisses Maduro's accusations of an alleged invasion and asks him to "stop sending drugs and members of the Tren de Aragua" to the US. "Stop sending the Tren de Aragua to the United States. Stop sending drugs to the United States," he stated.

Trump identifies 23 countries, including China, India, as major drug transit or production hubs: Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Venezuela

US Secretary of War after second attack on vessel near Venezuela: "Narco-militants are enemies of the US"

Trump claims the boat destroyed near Venezuela was carrying cocaine and fentanyl. "We've collected evidence and evidence. We know what time they left, when they left, what they had."

The US confirms that it will use all government resources to "arrest and deport" the members of the Aragua Train.

Trump: "This morning, at my direction, U.S. military forces conducted a second kinetic strike against positively identified and extraordinarily violent drug cartels and narco-militants."

U.S. military strikes another boat near Venezuela, killing 3 alleged drug traffickers

The US attacks a second vessel carrying alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers, Donald Trump announces.

Marco Rubio: "We don't recognize Maduro as president. More than 50 other countries don't either. That position, that of president of Venezuela, is just a title Maduro gave himself and is illegitimate."

Marco Rubio: "We will not allow a cartel to operate or pose as a government within our own hemisphere."

Maduro proposes that CELAC(the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) urgently convene a special conference on sovereignty and peace in the Caribbean. "I hope that this initiative, within the realm of supreme peace diplomacy, will take shape and become a preventive measure."

Maduro on US accusations: "What they say is a lie; there are no drug shipments in Venezuela." "There is a set of false narratives to justify an escalation where the goal is to enter and take over Venezuela."

Maduro on the tuna boat seizure: "They were looking to turn a minor incident into a major incident." "It would have been the military incident that extremists who want a war in the Caribbean are seeking."

Maduro: "Regarding the alleged attack on a supposedly Venezuelan vessel, which the US president presented in a video. The first thing that must be said is that the first person who has to investigate is the US president. The video deserves an investigation at the highest level of the White House."

Maduro in a press conference with national and international media: "I have not been, I am not, and I do not want to be a magnate or a multimillionaire. I have not had, I do not have, and I do not want to have any fortunes. As a leader, I am not inspired by accumulating hotels, casinos, or wealth. We are inspired by accumulating millions of consciences here and around the world."

Maduro calls Secretary Marco Rubio "the lord of death and war." "Wherever he goes, there is death, there are bombs, there are murdered children," he stated.

Maduro: "If life puts us on the path of having to take up arms to begin an armed struggle against imperialist aggression, our people will do so with serenity, confidence, and joy because they will be defending the most sacred cause, which is this land."

Maduro asserts that the US is "on the way" to carry out a "military aggression" against his regime.

Maduro's defense minister denounces increased US intelligence operations in Venezuela

Maduro: "I stated that communications with the United States were broken at the time. Today I can announce that communications with the United States government are broken, because of them, with their bomb threats, deaths, and blackmail."

Trujillo. Governor Gerardo Márquez reported the arrest of a FANB captain and a doctor for alleged "terrorist actions" that included planning the takeover of the Rivas Dávila Motorized Infantry Battalion. Weapons, fuel, and equipment were seized; a third suspect escaped.

Maduro announces seizure of a drug boat loaded with 3,600 kilos of cocaine in Venezuela. "We just carried out the legal interdiction. It's happening in real time now, the proportional force required by the Justice system was used."

Padrino López warns Guyana and Trinidad that if they lend themselves to attack, "they will receive a response."

Padrino López reports that those enlisted in the military will receive training every Saturday.

NYT: Rubio is “preparing what could be most significant military actions of Trump's 2nd term” and “the target is Venezuela.” This is to “combat drug trafficking”. Rubio: “Interception no longer works, what will stop them is blowing them up. POTUS is going to wage war against narcoterrorist organizations”