Naval vessels belonging to Trump are approaching the shores of Venezuela.
In the turbulent political landscape of Venezuela, tensions between the South American nation and the United States have escalated over allegations of drug trafficking and the presence of US military forces in the region.
The US accuses the Venezuelan government under President Nicolás Maduro of supporting the drug gang Cartel de los Soles, with Maduro himself being claimed as its head. However, former UN drug expert Pino Arlacchi disputes this, stating that the Cartel of the Suns is a "creature of Trump's imagination" and not mentioned in major anti-drug reports or documents.
The Trump administration has offered a $50 million reward for the capture of President Maduro, and rumors of a military coup have circulated for years. Yet, a full-scale US invasion of Venezuela is considered unlikely and unwise due to its size, topography, and numerous urban centers, according to Christopher Sabatini, a Latin America analyst at Chatham House.
The US military deployment in the Caribbean is seen as an attempt by the US to overthrow the socialist government of President Maduro. US President Donald Trump ordered US military forces to carry out direct military operations against drug cartels in early August, and a nuclear submarine has been stationed in the Caribbean for the first time since the Cuba crisis in the 1960s.
U.S. forces fired on a small boat off the coast of Venezuela on Tuesday, killing its occupants, and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio announced that US forces would continue to target ships carrying drugs from Venezuela. Meanwhile, Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello condemned the extrajudicial killings at sea, stating that "a suspicion of drug trafficking does not justify summary executions."
Experts consider the accusation that Venezuela supports drug trafficking into the US to be a pretext, with the United Nations consolidating Venezuela's status as an area free from cocaine cultivation, marijuana, and similar products, as well as the presence of international criminal cartels.
Venezuela is preparing for a possible U.S. Army invasion, with over 8.2 million registered militia members readying for the "threat" posed by the United States. However, the search results do not mention any specific individual or government responsible for an operation to capture or assassinate President Maduro.
The attack was reportedly directed against "drug terrorists" by US President Donald Trump, but the authority and specifics of any targeted operation against Maduro remain unclear. The US government, it seems, is relying on either forcing Maduro to surrender or persuading someone from his inner circle to defect and remove him, according to Sabatini. Sabatini also suggests that US guided-missile ships could potentially destroy some key military facilities in Venezuela.
The ongoing standoff between the US and Venezuela continues to escalate, with both nations taking increasingly bold actions in the region. The future remains uncertain, and the situation is one to watch closely.
Read also:
- Lu Shiow-yen's Challenging Position as Chair of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Under Scrutiny in Donovan's Analysis
- Palmer engages in a dispute with AfD.
- Eric Adams reportedly considering abandoning his mayoral campaign for a Trump administration position
- Musk Intends to Allocate $100 Million to Trump Supporters Following Tesla's Advertising in the White House
