Trump gets a brutal response: We have 5,000 Russian anti-aircraft missiles

“Every military power in the world knows the strength of the Igla-S missiles, and Venezuela possesses no fewer than 5,000 of them,” Maduro added, according to El País.

The United States has maintained an increased naval presence in the Caribbean for the past two months — an action the authorities in Caracas interpret as an attempt to force a regime change in Venezuela, although the White House insists it is part of an anti–drug trafficking operation, the Spanish newspaper reports.

On Tuesday night, the U.S. carried out another strike on a drug–smuggling vessel, this time on the Pacific side of South America, according to two American officials.

In what was the eighth known U.S. strike on such boats since September 2, two to three people aboard the vessel were killed, one of the officials told CBS News.

The previous seven attacks targeted ships in the Caribbean.

At least 34 people have been killed in U.S. strikes on drug–trafficking vessels, according to claims made by the U.S. administration.