US warships may reach Venezuela coast by weekend in drug cartel operation

Three US warships to beryllium stationed disconnected the seashore of Venezuela successful alleged combat against ‘narco-terrorists’, according to reports.

Three United States warships ordered to deploy disconnected the seashore of Venezuela by US President Donald Trump could get by the weekend, according to reports, arsenic Washington sends its subject to curb cause trafficking by Latin American transgression cartels.

The reported deployment of the warships comes arsenic the Trump medication increases pressure connected Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, aft precocious doubling a reward for his apprehension to $50m connected what the US claims are cause offences linked to cocaine trafficking.

Sources told the Reuters and AFP quality agencies connected Wednesday that an amphibious squadron consisting of 3 US Aegis-class guided rocket destroyers is heading to the waters disconnected Venezuela and could get arsenic aboriginal arsenic Sunday.

Two sources briefed connected the deployment, and speaking connected information of anonymity, told Reuters that the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort Lauderdale are moving towards the Venezuelan seashore and are carrying 4,500 US work members, including 2,200 Marines.

The sources declined to item the circumstantial ngo of the squadron. But they person said that caller deployments are aimed astatine addressing threats to US nationalist information from specially designated “narco-terrorist” organisations successful the region.

Maduro said connected Monday that helium would beryllium deploying millions of militia members crossed Venezuela successful effect to US “threats”, which included the reward for his apprehension and the motorboat of a caller anti-drug cognition successful the Caribbean.

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro waves extracurricular a polling presumption aft voting successful Venezuela’s mayoral and assembly elections, successful Caracas, Venezuela, connected July 27, 2025 [Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters]

“This week, I volition activate a peculiar program with much than 4.5 cardinal militiamen to guarantee sum of the full nationalist territory – militias that are prepared, activated and armed,” Maduro said successful a televised address.

Washington has accused Maduro of starring the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) cocaine trafficking gang.

The US Department of the Treasury designated the cartel arsenic a planetary violent organisation past month, accusing it of supporting the Venezuelan transgression radical Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa cause cartels, which were besides designated overseas violent organisations earlier this year.

“President Trump has been precise wide and consistent, he’s prepared to usage each constituent of American powerfulness to halt drugs from flooding into our state and to bring those liable to justice,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said connected Tuesday.

“Maduro, it is the presumption of this administration, is not a morganatic president; helium is simply a fugitive caput of this cartel who has been indicted successful the United States for trafficking drugs into this country,” Leavitt said.

Al Jazeera’s Latin America editor, Lucia Newman, reports that Maduro has ordered the grounding of each aerial drones for the adjacent 30 days, “an denotation that helium mightiness beryllium expecting an onslaught from the aerial alternatively than sea”.

“President Trump’s vow to nonstop warships to the Caribbean and elsewhere successful Latin America to halt the travel of drugs to the United States is being seen arsenic much than conscionable a menace to Venezuela. It could use to many, galore countries successful this region,” Newman said.

“They accidental contiguous it whitethorn beryllium Venezuela, time it could beryllium immoderate 1 of them,” Newman said.

Many successful the portion are besides wondering wherefore Trump has chosen to instrumentality “such an assertive determination successful the United States’ backyard portion helium portrays himself arsenic a planetary peacemaker”.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies