Former White House Security Advisor Juan GonzĂĄlez during the Biden administration. File photo.
Former US Security Advisor Juan GonzĂĄlez questioned the alleged destruction of a Venezuelan boat in the Caribbean Sea, carried out by US forces, and stated that the Donald Trump administration “uses false information to justify a terrorist designation.”
GonzĂĄlez, who served as senior security advisor for the Western Hemisphere during the Biden administration, wrote on social media, “The US military strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug vessel raises serious concerns. Even if you accept the Trump Adminâs framing, this action is legally questionable under both US and international law.”
In a series of posts on X on Wednesday, September 3, he added, “As it stands, the Administration is claiming authority to sink any vessel it ‘deems’ tied to drug trafficking. Thatâs a slippery slope. Without checks, the US risks killing fishermen, migrants, or other civiliansâŚand weâd just have to take the Admin at its word.”
The U.S. military strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug vessel raises serious concerns. Even if you accept the Trump Adminâs framing, this action is legally questionable under both U.S. and international law. 𧾠https://t.co/e45lN6s9AJ
â Juan S. Gonzalez (@Cartajuanero) September 2, 2025
The former White House advisor pointed out that there are rules of engagement that must be respected to ensure the minimum number of civilian casualties; thus, “destroying a boat at sea without boarding or verifying opens the door to tragedy.”
He emphasized that the United States Coast Guard, and not the Navy, is the appropriate body to carry out actions related to the fight against drug trafficking in the Caribbean, as “they are trained, equipped, and legally mandated for these missions.”
Video of So-Called ‘Drug Boat’ Sunk by US Empire Near Venezuela Sparks Controversy (+AI Generation)
GonzĂĄlez’s statement comes after US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the US Navy had destroyed a drug-laden vessel that, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was coming from Venezuela.
GonzĂĄlez questioned the alleged procedure and highlighted that the correct approach would be to engage with helicopter and aerial support, disabling the vessel when necessary, arresting and questioning the crew, and sharing the intelligence to help law enforcement build the bigger cases against the higher ups.
He opined that the United States government is “wasting a ton of taxpayer money for political theatre.”
Earlier, Venezuelan Minister of Communications and Information Freddy ĂĂĄĂąez stated that the video posted by Trump had been generated by artificial intelligence, taking into account a series of characteristics of the video.
“The video shows a vessel being attacked and then exploding in a way that looks like a simplified animation, almost cartoonish, instead of a realistic depiction of an explosion,” the minister wrote on social media.
He explained that “the video contains motion artifacts and a lack of realistic detail, something common in AI-generated videos. The water, in particular, looks very stylized and unnatural.”
He added that “the content of the video appears to be composed of different elements, including the text ‘UNCLASSIFIED’ and a watermark of unknown origin. These elements, along with the lack of detail, are common in AI-generated content.”
(Ăltimas Noticias) by MarĂa Milagros SĂĄnchez
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/SL
