Venezuela’s armed forces will strengthen coastal patrols and deploy drones in response to escalating US activity in the area following Washington’s dispatch of warships to combat drug trafficking off the Venezuelan coast. Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino announced a significant expansion of drone operations and naval patrols along the nation’s Caribbean coast, extending into “larger vessels further north” of the territorial waters. This decision came after the US last week sent an amphibious squadron consisting of three warships toward Venezuela’s shores, a move they claimed was aimed at curbing activities of drug cartels in Latin America. Reports also indicate the deployment of additional US vessels, including a guided missile cruiser and a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, with approximately 4,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines, participating in the operation.
The US military reinforcement follows accusations from the Trump administration that Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro is involved in cocaine trafficking and colludes with drug cartels. In addition to this, Washington has doubled the reward for Maduro’s capture or prosecution in relation to drug charges from $25 million to $50 million, and is also offering $25 million for information leading to the arrest or prosecution of Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. Accusations levied by Washington against Maduro and his government suggest they are the heads of the cocaine trafficking cartel Cartel de los Soles, which the US has designated as a terrorist organization.
Maduro has vehemently denied these accusations, seeing them as attempts by the US to provoke regime change within the country. The Venezuelan government encouraged its citizens to join the civil militias as a means of strengthening national security against the perceived threats from Washington. In a related effort, some 15,000 Venezuelan troops have been deployed to the country’s border with Colombia to combat criminal activities, including drug trafficking.
In a press statement, Defence Minister Padrino noted an ongoing operation in the northeastern part of Venezuela that disrupted the plans of criminals to build “semisubmersibles and boats” intended for the maritime transportation of drugs to Europe and North America.
In response to the US’s escalation in military presence and hostility, Venezuela’s UN mission expressed concerns over the pronounced threat to regional stability and security. The nation demanded guarantees from the US that there would be no deployment or threat of nuclear weapon deployment in the region. Despite the heightened tensions, analysts believe the likelihood of a direct invasion or strikes by the US on Venezuela is low, with many locals perceiving these actions as mere posturing, according to AFP. The ongoing political tension between the two countries includes a tight oil embargo by the US aimed at pressuring Maduro’s government without achieving the desired outcome of regime change.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/27/venezuela-deploys-warships-drones-to-coast-as-us-naval-squadron-nears?traffic_source=rss
