Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have escalated following the large-scale deployment of U.S. naval forces in the southern Caribbean. According to American officials, the operation aims to combat drug cartels in Latin America.
U.S. President Donald Trump has made the fight against cartels a priority of his administration, linking it to efforts to secure the southern border and curb illegal migration.
“Many Caribbean countries and the region have welcomed the operation and the administration’s efforts to combat drugs,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro strongly condemned the military deployment, describing it as a direct threat to his country’s sovereignty.
“Our diplomacy is not based on threats or warships, because the world cannot function as it did 100 years ago,” Maduro said. His government recently deployed 15,000 troops to the western border with Colombia to combat drug trafficking groups.
An anonymous U.S. official stated that seven U.S. warships and one high-speed nuclear submarine are currently in the region or en route, making this one of the largest recent deployments in the Caribbean. Among the ships are the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale, carrying approximately 4,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines.
Pentagon officials also confirmed the deployment of P-8 reconnaissance aircraft operating in international waters to collect intelligence data.
Venezuela filed an official complaint with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, accusing the United States of violating the UN Charter.
“This is a massive propaganda operation aimed at justifying what experts call a ‘kinetic’ action—meaning a military intervention in a sovereign, independent country that poses no threat to anyone,” Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN, Samuel Moncada, said after his meeting with Guterres.
The White House has reaffirmed its hardline stance:
“President Trump is ready to use every element of U.S. power to stop our country from being flooded with drugs,” read a statement released Thursday.
In February, the Trump administration designated the Sinaloa cartel and other criminal groups, such as “Tren de Aragua,” as global terrorist organizations to justify expanded military operations.
Meanwhile, Maduro has called for civil defense group training every Friday and Saturday in preparation for possible “national defense” measures.
