US forces to focus on 'quarantining' Venezuelan oil
The US has said its strikes on vessels near Venezuela are meant to stop the flow of drugs. -AP
The White House has ordered US military forces to focus almost exclusively on enforcing the "quarantine" of Venezuelan oil for at least the next two months, a US official says.
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"While military options still exist, the focus is to first use economic pressure by enforcing sanctions to reach the outcome the White House is looking (for)," the official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The statement could dampen the immediate prospect of US land strikes against Venezuela that President Donald Trump has repeatedly said may take place.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House order was for US forces to focus almost exclusively "on the quarantine of Venezuelan oil for at least the next two months".
"The efforts so far have put tremendous pressure on (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro and the belief is that by late January, Venezuela will be facing an economic calamity unless it agrees to make significant concessions to the US," the official said.
The Trump administration has said its strikes on vessels in international waters in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela are meant to stop the flow of drugs into the US and increase pressure on the South American nation's president.
At least 105 people have been killed in 29 known strikes since early September.
The strikes have faced scrutiny from US lawmakers and human rights activists, who say the administration has offered scant evidence that its targets are indeed drug smugglers and say the fatal strikes amount to extrajudicial killings.
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