Drug Hotspot On Venezuela’s Coast Reeling From Trump’s Strikes

By Caden Olson

A coastal Venezuelan city long dependent on smuggling of drugs and other contraband is facing economic collapse and government surveillance following U.S. strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats.

Residents in Güiria, a port city with a population of around 40,000, say U.S bombings have cut off illicit boat traffic that supported much of its local economy, including drug shipments and trade of contraband, food, and consumer goods with nearby states, Reuters reported Friday. With vessels no longer leaving the coast, Güiria’s shop owners report almost no cash moving through the city.

“There was only movement in stores recently because of government bonus payments; otherwise, there’s no money circulating,” said one local merchant, according to Reuters.

“No boats of any kind are leaving … not migrants, not people buying goods there to sell here, and certainly not those taking Venezuelan products to sell there, which was another way to make money. Everything is practically dead,” the merchant added. (RELATED: Trump Says Military Will Stop Alleged Venezuelan Drug Smugglers By Land ‘Very Soon’)

Families of several men from Güiria believed to have been killed in the strikes say police and intelligence agents for Venezuela’s socialist government —  seen as illegitimate by the U.S. and much of the world — visited them shortly afterward, according to Reuters. The relatives, who asked to remain anonymous for their safety, said officers searched their homes and warned them not to speak publicly. They say they have received no official information about the deaths and have not recovered any bodies.

Since mid-September, security forces have expanded their presence across Güiria. Locals report frequent patrols by personnel from the Venezuelan regime’s Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) and Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), Reuters reported. One former resident described a DGCIM “command center” in a state-owned hotel in a nearby resort town, and a resulting drop in public activity due to the presence of government personnel.

“The people in town know there are individuals who are not part of the community, not from there. People walking around like civilians, but they belong to government intelligence,” said one former resident, according to Reuters. “There’s so much secrecy – no one talks about it because they don’t know if someone is listening.”

The DGCIM is under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and has been sanctioned by the U.S., facing accusations of systematic abuses, including extrajudicial execution and torture. SEBIN surveillance has targeted journalists, opposition figures, and other targets, Reuters reported. (RELATED: Venezuela Rails Against ‘Ridiculous’ U.S. Terror Designation Of Maduro-Tied Cartel)

The degradation of the coastal Venezuelan town comes amid a buildup of naval forces around Venezuela, encompassing some 10% of total U.S. naval assets. U.S. forces have conducted 21 strikes on alleged narcotrafficking ships since Sept. 2, killing over 80. President Donald Trump also authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela in mid-October.

The U.S. government designated the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in mid-November, alleging that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is the cartel’s leader.

Trump suggested to service members on Thursday that U.S. forces will combat alleged drug smugglers in Venezuela by land and not just by sea.