U.S. strikes again off Venezuela

President Donald Trump says the United States has struck another
small boat off the coast of Venezuela, in what appears to be the fifth
attack of its kind on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs

Trump (right) says strikes are necessary to disrupt flow
of deadly narcotics, but data shows that vast majority
of maritime drug trafficking bound for U.S. moves
through Pacific, not Caribbean

DRUG SMUGGLING ROUTES TO U.S.

Cocaine
Cocaine
Fentanyl*

Pacific
74%
West
Caribbean
16%
Caribbean
8%

BOLIVIA
BRAZIL
COLOMBIA
DOMINICAN REP.
ECUADOR
MEXICO
PERU
UNITED STATES
VENEZUELA
PACIFIC
OCEAN
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
1,000km
625 miles

Main coca
producers

Note: Percentage figures
indicate share of cocaine
flows to U.S.

*Venezuela plays essentially no role in production
or smuggling of fentanyl Ð drug is almost entirely
made in Mexico with chemicals imported from
countries in Asia, including China

Sources: BBC, New York Times
Picture: Getty Images
© GRAPHIC NEWS