Tensions between the United States and Venezuela are rising amid a large U.S. Naval build up in Southern Caribbean and nearby waters which U.S. officials say aims to address threats from Latin American drug cartels
As per media reports, seven U.S. warships, along with one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, are either in the region or likely to be there soon, bringing along more than 4,500 sailors and marines.
President Donald Trump has said combating drug cartels is a central goal for his administration and U.S. officials have told media that the military efforts aim to address threats from those cartels.
Trump has designated Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, MS-13 in El Salvador, and six groups based in Mexico as foreign terrorist organizations, pointing to the international connections and operations of the groups that include drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, and violent pushes to extend their territory.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro repudiated the drug trafficking accusations from Washington and condemned the U.S. military presence as a threat. He defiantly warned that the United States cannot invade his country, mobilizing 15,000 troops, drones, and naval assets in response. Venezuela’s UN envoy mocked, “No one fights drug cartels with nuclear submarines.”
With the U.S. doubling its bounty on Maduro to $50 million, tensions are at breaking point.