Fentanyl Is Not Produced in Venezuela-U.S. Senator Rand Paul:

Oct 25, 2025 at 03:10 PM

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Lanka Leader

U.S. Senator Rand Paul has refuted claims made by former President Donald Trump that Venezuela produces fentanyl, calling the accusations baseless and questioning the legality of recent U.S. military operations in the Caribbean Sea.

The Kentucky Republican said there is no evidence that fentanyl is manufactured in Venezuela and cast doubt on whether the boats targeted under White House orders were actually smuggling drugs to the United States.

“They are boats that, to reach Miami, would have to stop to refuel 20 times,” Paul said, highlighting what he described as the logistical improbability of the administration’s narrative.

Paul’s remarks come amid escalating political and military tensions following a U.S. naval deployment in the Caribbean and a series of missile strikes on vessels allegedly linked to drug trafficking. The operations have sparked controversy in Washington, with critics questioning their legality and the evidence supporting them.

Last week, the Republican-controlled Senate voted down a resolution that would have required Congressional approval before authorizing additional strikes — a measure backed by nearly all Democrats and only two Republicans, Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski.

Challenging the justification for the bombings, Paul asked, “Is it too much to ask that we know the names of those we kill before we kill them, that we know what evidence there is of their guilt?”

The senator also drew a domestic comparison: “We don’t blow up boats in Miami when we might be wrong 25% of the time — and we shouldn’t do it in Venezuela either,” he said, adding that many of the targeted boats are “small fishing vessels without fentanyl and without any route to Florida.”

Calling the actions “summary executions,” Paul warned that the U.S. cannot engage in extrajudicial killings outside a declared war and emphasized that “everyone has the right to a trial.”

Since last month, U.S. forces have reportedly conducted nine attacks on vessels in the Caribbean, resulting in over 30 deaths, according to congressional briefings and media reports.

Paul’s statements add to growing dissent in Washington over the legality, morality, and strategic purpose of the ongoing operations near Venezuelan waters.