Venezuela’s National Assembly to investigate US boat strikes

Nov 30 (Reuters) – Venezuela’s National Assembly will form a special commission to investigate U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadly strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast and in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the congressional body’s president said on Sunday.

Speaking on state television, Jorge Rodriguez said the investigation would look into a Washington Post report on Friday that said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered all people aboard one of the boats killed during a strike in September. A second strike was then carried out to kill two survivors, the report said.

“We are going to carry out a rigorous and deep investigation,” Rodriguez told a press conference, adding that the country’s prosecutor’s office would be involved.

The U.S. for months has waged a campaign of deadly strikes against suspected drug trafficking boats in the region. Maduro and his government have denied any involvement in crime and have accused the U.S. of seeking regime change out of a desire to control Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

On Saturday, Trump said the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety,” but gave no further details. Venezuela’s government called his comments a “colonialist threat” against its sovereignty.

(Reporting by Reuters)