Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have escalated following a major US naval deployment in the Southern Caribbean, aimed at countering drug trafficking operations, US officials confirmed.
The Trump administration has made combating drug cartels a central priority as part of efforts to secure the southern border. While US naval and Coast Guard patrols are routine in the region, officials described the current deployment as significantly larger than usual.
According to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, seven warships and a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine are already in the area or expected within days. Among the vessels are the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale, carrying about 4,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines. P-8 surveillance aircraft are also conducting patrols over international waters.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the move as a provocation, calling it a “massive propaganda operation” to justify possible military intervention. Caracas has lodged a complaint with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, accusing Washington of violating the UN Charter.
The Pentagon has not disclosed details of the mission, but US officials said the administration has authorised operations against criminal organisations, with recent designations of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua as global terrorist groups. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said several Caribbean and Latin American nations have welcomed the US crackdown.
In response, Maduro ordered weekly civil defence training and deployed 15,000 troops to border regions, while again accusing foreign powers and the opposition of conspiring with the US to destabilise Venezuela—allegations both the opposition and Washington deny.
The developments mark a new flashpoint in strained US-Venezuela relations, with both sides holding firm on sovereignty and security concerns.
