U.S. Bolsters Caribbean Naval Presence with Addition of Missile Cruiser Amid Venezuela Tensions
WASHINGTON – The United States has increased its naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea with the addition of another missile cruiser, bringing the total number of warships in the region to eight, according to a study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The move comes as tensions remain high with Venezuela and follows reports of potential military action.
The U.S. naval force now includes six destroyers, three amphibious ships, and one submarine, totaling approximately 13,000 naval personnel – the largest deployment in Latin America in at least 25 years, and possibly the last 40, according to Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and CSIS defense expert. He told EFE on Tuesday,”This is the largest naval deployment in Latin America in at least 25 years or maybe even the last 40 years.”
The deployment is expected to be further augmented by the arrival of the USS Gerald ford, the most modern aircraft carrier in the U.S.fleet,in the coming days.
Recent reports from the Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal indicated the U.S. was preparing to bomb military installations inside Venezuela,a claim President Trump denied while aboard Air Force one on Friday,stating,”No,they are not true.”
This escalation follows nearly two months of U.S. operations targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean, resulting in 61 deaths and three survivors since September 1. Trump reiterated last Tuesday his commitment to halting the entry of drugs “by land.”
The United Nations has criticized the U.S. actions, accusing the government of “violating international law” with its attacks on vessels at sea and characterizing the deaths as “extrajudicial executions.” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk demanded Friday, “These attacks, and their increasing human cost, are unacceptable. The United States must put an end to them.”
Meanwhile, Republican legislators from Florida, vocal critics of Venezuelan President nicolás Maduro, signaled continued pressure. representative María Elvira Salazar posted on X friday, “Maduro wanted an early Christmas, but Halloween always comes first.”
