U.S.-Venezuela Spat Escalates Sharply with New Military Moves
(MENAFN) Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have escalated sharply amid a series of military deployments and accusations related to drug trafficking in the Caribbean.
The confrontation escalated when U.S. President Donald Trump declared the addition of 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, intensifying efforts against Latin American drug cartels, media reported Friday. These jets joined an existing fleet of U.S. naval vessels in the Caribbean, including guided-missile destroyers and amphibious assault ships carrying thousands of personnel.
This military buildup came after a U.S. strike last Tuesday that targeted a vessel allegedly operated by Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, labeled a terrorist organization by Washington earlier this year. The strike resulted in 11 deaths and represented a rare direct U.S. military intervention in Latin America.
Trump stated on social media platform Truth Social, “The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States,” although the specific cargo details remain undisclosed.
Venezuelan officials challenged the authenticity of video footage shared by Trump, with Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez suggesting on social media that it could be artificially generated.
Three days after the strike, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro vowed to protect the nation’s sovereignty and called on Trump to pursue dialogue instead of conflict.
Maduro condemned the U.S. operation as “unlawful,” accusing Washington of fabricating drug trafficking allegations to justify its regime change agenda. He insisted Venezuela has no coca cultivation or cocaine production.
“The government of the United States should abandon its plan of violent regime change in Venezuela and in all of Latin America and respect sovereignty, the right to peace, to independence,” Maduro declared on state television.
Trump responded Friday, denying any intent for regime change but equated American deaths from drugs to wartime casualties.
Venezuela’s opposition seized on the U.S. stance as a sign of Maduro’s weakening grip. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told media that Washington had taken the “right approach” in confronting the Venezuelan government.
On Sunday, Maduro ordered the deployment of 25,000 troops to coastal and border regions, more than doubling forces in the states of Zulia and Tachira along the Colombian border.
Meanwhile, Trump is reportedly considering further military options against drug cartels operating inside Venezuela, including possible strikes within its territory, according to multiple sources cited by media on Friday.
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