The United States has ordered three warships to deploy off the coast of Venezuela, potentially arriving by Sunday, in a bid to curb drug trafficking by Latin American crime cartels.
This move comes as tensions between Washington and Caracas escalate, with the Trump administration increasing pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
According to reports, the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale, carrying 4,500 US service members, including 2,200 Marines, are heading towards the Venezuelan coast.
While the specific mission of the squadron remains unclear, recent deployments have aimed to address threats to US national security from “narco-terrorist” organisations in the region.
In response to the US “threats,” Maduro announced plans to deploy millions of militia members across Venezuela. “This week, I will activate a special plan with more than 4.5 million militiamen to ensure coverage of the entire national territory – militias that are prepared, activated and armed,” Maduro said in a televised address.
The US has accused Maduro of leading the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles cocaine trafficking gang, which has been designated as a global terrorist organisation by the US Department of the Treasury.
The cartel is alleged to support the Venezuelan crime group Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartels.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized the administration’s stance, saying, “President Trump has been very clear and consistent, he’s prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”
She added that Maduro is viewed as “not a legitimate president; he is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into this country.”
Lucia Newman, notes that Maduro’s decision to ground all aerial drones for the next 30 days may indicate he is expecting an attack from the air rather than sea. Newman also highlights concerns that Trump’s move could apply to many countries in the region, not just Venezuela.
“President Trump’s vow to send warships to the Caribbean and elsewhere in Latin America to stop the flow of drugs to the United States is being seen as more than just a threat to Venezuela. It could apply to many, many countries in this region,” she said. “They say today it may be Venezuela, tomorrow it could be any one of them”.