US Increases Caribbean Military Presence Targeting Drug Cartels & Maduro Regime
Teh United States is bolstering its military presence in the Caribbean Sea, focusing on disrupting drug trafficking and countering what it designates as narcoterrorism. recent activity includes live-fire exercises conducted from the USS iwo Jima by US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II aircraft.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford, has also entered the area of obligation of the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM AOR) on November 11th, tasked wiht combating drug cartels, specifically the “Cartel of the Suns.” the US government has labeled this cartel a terrorist association allegedly led by venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This deployment follows a directive from a US official to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and defend the homeland.
The increased military activity began approximately two months ago with a broader offensive against Caribbean drug cartels. To date, US forces have reportedly destroyed around 20 vessels and resulted in the deaths of over 70 suspected drug traffickers. These actions have drawn criticism from the United Nations and other international bodies, who have characterized them as “extrajudicial executions.”
Further escalating pressure on the maduro government, the US increased the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and conviction from $25 million to $50 million in August.
In response to the US military build-up, Venezuela’s Ministry of defense has announced a large-scale mobilization of its air, land, and naval forces to prepare for national defense, despite Maduro’s public appeal to former President Trump to avoid escalating the conflict.
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