US vice president defends Venezuela policy, citing drug trafficking, oil disputes

US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday pushed back against criticism of Washington's actions toward Venezuela, arguing that the country plays a significant role in global drug trafficking and has long benefited from expropriated American oil assets.

Vance said claims that Venezuela is not linked to drug trafficking because most fentanyl originates elsewhere overlook key facts.

"I want to address this: First off, fentanyl isn't the only drug in the world and there is still fentanyl coming from Venezuela (or at least there was)," he said on the US social media company X.

Vance said cocaine, which he described as the "main" drug trafficked out of Venezuela, remains a major source of revenue for Latin American cartels.

"If you cut out the money from cocaine (or even reduce it) you substantially weaken the cartels overall. Also, cocaine is bad too!" he said.

Vance said Mexico remains a focus of US anti-drug policy due to fentanyl trafficking, and cited President Donald Trump's decision to close the border on his first day in office as part of that effort.

Addressing criticism related to oil and energy policy, Vance said Venezuela expropriated American-owned oil assets roughly two decades ago and, until recently, used those resources to enrich itself and fund what he described as "narcoterrorist activities."

"I understand the anxiety over the use of military force, but are we just supposed to allow a communist to steal our stuff in our hemisphere and do nothing? Great powers don't act like that," Vance said.

His remarks came a day after President Donald Trump said US military action on Saturday resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, pledging to assert American control over the country for the time being, with US troops if necessary.

Trump accused Maduro of overseeing drug shipments into the US and holding power illegitimately through election fraud. Maduro, who is currently in custody at a New York detention facility pending drug charges, has rejected the allegations, and officials in Caracas have called for his release.