“Venezuela has been hijacked by a gang that is connected to drug cartels and to the enemies of the United States, such as Iran, Hezbollah, China, and so on,” Machado explained on the program. “Maduro has taken over by force even though, as you say, it was a landslide victory, we humiliated the regime under their own extreme unfair conditions.”

Following the interview, President Trump announced an anti-drug military campaign in international waters off the shores of Venezuela, intercepting shipments of cocaine and other deadly drugs from South America. The operation is particularly tailored to cutting the flow of illicit drugs from operations such as the Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles into the United States.