Trump Increases Caribbean Military Presence Following Second Strike on Venezuelan Drug Ship
Trump escalates the US military buildup and exacerbates relations with Maduro by ordering a second strike on an alleged cocaine vessel from Venezuela.
The attack coincides with an increase in US military activity in the southern Caribbean. As part of the Trump administration’s decision to deploy ten stealth fighters, five US F-35 aircraft touched down in Puerto Rico on Saturday. There are also one nuclear-powered submarine and at least seven US warships in the area.
“When they come by land, we’re going to be stopping them the same way we stopped the boats,” Trump said in a statement to reporters, hinting at the possibility of extending operations beyond naval targets. However, perhaps by discussing it briefly, it won’t occur.
Speaking to sailors and Marines off the coast of Puerto Rico earlier this month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured them that they were engaged in a vital counter-narcotics operation on the “front lines.” “We will track them, kill them, and dismantle their networks throughout our hemisphere at the times and places of our choosing,” Hegseth wrote in a post on X on Monday.
Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela, called recent US measures “aggression” and said that communication between the two countries had almost stopped hours before Trump’s appointment. A US reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest was doubled to $50 million last month by the Trump administration, which has previously accused him of having ties to organized crime.
The most recent attack comes after another vessel was attacked on September 2, which US officials claimed was run by members of the Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela. According to Washington, 11 people were slain. The Pentagon has not revealed the weaponry used in the operation, the drugs that were on board, or the quantity that was seized.
The first boat seemed to be turning back when it was struck, according to US authorities, casting doubt on the strike’s legality. Although Reuters’ analysis revealed no overt signs of tampering, a Venezuelan official later claimed that the video Trump tweeted of the event had been produced using artificial intelligence.
Venezuela disputes that any of the people killed in the September strike were Tren de Aragua members, claiming it has sent tens of thousands of troops to fight human trafficking. Maduro has long accused Washington of removing him from office under false pretenses related to drug allegations.
It is extremely uncommon for suspected drug vessels to be destroyed rather than seized. Although presidents have previously authorized limited strikes without consent, critics contend that it violates the constitution because Congress has the power to declare war.
In order to compel a congressional vote on restricting US military action against non-state actors without official authorization, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff announced on Monday that he is writing a resolution under the War Powers Act.
Awaiting congressional approval, Trump has ordered the Department of Defense to be renamed the “Department of War.” Additionally, Hegseth’s title would be changed to “Secretary of War.”
