US-Venezuela Tensions Escalate as Warships Deploy, Trump Authorizes Potential Shoot-Downs
CARIBBEAN SEA - Tensions between the United States and Venezuela are rapidly escalating, with the reported deployment of F-35 warplanes and a significant US naval build-up in the southern Caribbean. President Donald Trump has authorized military commanders to shoot down Venezuelan fighter jets if they are perceived as a threat to US vessels, a move condemned by Caracas as provocative.
The situation stems from a series of escalating incidents,including accusations from the US Department of Defense that Venezuelan F-16s flew “highly provocatively” near the USS jason Dunham,a guided-missile destroyer. Trump warned on Friday, “If they do put us in a dangerous position, they’ll be shot down.”
The US Navy currently has at least seven warships deployed in the region,carrying over 4,500 sailors and Marines,alongside a nuclear-powered submarine positioned near Venezuelan territorial waters.
These actions follow a recent US military strike on a speedboat in the Caribbean, which Trump claimed belonged to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization he has linked to Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. The strike, which resulted in 11 fatalities, has been labeled an “extrajudicial killing” by Caracas and faces legal scrutiny. US Secretary of State marco Rubio defended the military approach,stating that destroying drug cartels is the moast effective deterrent.
Maduro, who recently secured re-election in January amid claims of vote irregularities, has mobilized Venezuela’s military - numbering approximately 340,000 soldiers, plus reservists and militia exceeding eight million – in response to perceived US threats. He called on Friday for the US to “abandon its plan of violent regime change in Venezuela and in all of Latin America” and “respect sovereignty, the right to peace, to independence.” Despite the escalating tensions, Maduro stated, “I respect Trump. None of the differences we’ve had can lead to a military conflict,” and affirmed Venezuela’s willingness to engage in dialog.
Trump, though, downplayed talk of regime change, stating, “We are not talking about regime change in Venezuela,” but reiterated concerns about the validity of Maduro’s recent election.
