United Nations human rights experts have said that the United States' naval blockade of Venezuela and related military actions amount to an "armed attack" under international law, sharply criticizing Washington's escalating pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro's regime.
Since August, the United States has deployed a significant military force in the Caribbean, officially claiming it aims to combat drug trafficking, and has carried out strikes on vessels it says were transporting narcotics in both the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, which have resulted in at least 105 deaths. President Donald Trump has also recently ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, with at least two vessels confiscated.
