United States military forces are making their presence known in international waters, increasing their presence in the Caribbean and the Pacific as the Trump administration vows to deter drug cartels, according to reports.
The escalation has irked Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who warned on Thursday that his country could not be invaded.
Newsweek reached out to the State Department via email for comment.
Why It Matters
U.S. deployment of multiple warships including a nuclear-powered submarine and 4,500 troops is part of President Donald Trump‘s intensified anti-drug cartel operations, with the projection of military force around Latin America putting countries like Venezuela on guard as part of their most serious confrontation with the U.S. in years.
Maduro has stated that U.S. aggression in the region only strengthens the resolve of his people along with the power of his government. Mounting political and economic pressures in Venezuela, coupled with increased U.S. military involvement, begs larger questions of regional viability with diplomacy with nations like Colombia. The situation also puts the United Nations in the spotlight to mediate and deter, if necessary, any major conflicts in the hemisphere.
MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images
What To Know
Eight U.S. warships are now involved as part of a broader “enhanced counter narcotics operation” to carry out drug interdiction missions in Latin America, a defense official told the Washington Post. They reportedly include three destroyers, two landing dock ships, an amphibious assault ship, a cruiser and a littoral combat ship, which are either in the region or on their way.
The destroyers are each carrying detachments of U.S. Coast Guard and law enforcement officials aboard who would carry out detentions or arrests in drug interdictions.
Navy officials would not say exactly where the ships will be operating, except that they are patrolling the Caribbean and awaiting more specific orders—adding that destroyers are “not right off the coast of Venezuela,” the Post reported.
Reuters previously reported one U.S. submarine and “several” P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, which are now visible at San Juan airport in Puerto Rico, being deployed in the region.
The following map approximates locations based on Newsweek’s review of publicly available sources.
Maduro, while speaking at a military ceremony in Caracas, portrayed the U.S. naval presence as a hostile siege that violates the U.N. Charter. He thanked Colombian President Gustavo Petro for deploying 25,000 troops to support security along their shared border, framing the move as a joint effort to protect Venezuela and the wider border region.
Civil defense units would continue training weekly and vowed that no foreign power could touch Venezuela’s “sacred lands,” Maduro added, referencing the U.S. bounty on his head that Washington recently doubled to $50 million for his capture.
Jennifer McCoy, a political science professor at Georgia State University, told Newsweek via email that the U.S. has been trying various ways since at least 2015 to pressure Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro to leave office.
This, however, is a “new means of pressure that has not been tried before,” she said.
“While it may be useful to interdict drug flows (I can’t assess this), it is more of a show of force than an actual threat of invasion of Venezuela,” McCoy said. “That would take a much larger force.
“Likewise, Maduro’s response to call up a presumably fictitious 4.5 million militia is a rhetorical show of force aimed at reassuring his population that he will repel any invasion.”
She said one possible impact on Venezuela’s internal politics could be that if the operation succeeds in interrupting drug flows from Venezuela to the U.S. or Europe, it could remove one lucrative source of income for Maduro’s allies and potentially weaken his support.
“The risk would be if Venezuela decides to try to respond in the water in some way, leading to a physical clash that could be read by one leader or the other deciding it merited a response, and thus an escalation,” she said. “I can’t assess the size of that risk, though.”
What People Are Saying
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro: “There’s no way they can enter Venezuela. Today, we are stronger than yesterday. Today, we are more prepared to defend peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi: “Department of Justice and State Department are announcing a historic $50-million reward for information leading to the arrest of Nicolas Maduro.”
Venezuela’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Samuel Moncada: “It’s a massive propaganda operation to justify what the experts call kinetic action, meaning military intervention in a country which is a sovereign and independent country and is no threat to anyone.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt: “Many Caribbean nations and many nations in the region have applauded the administration’s counter drug operations and efforts.”
What Happens Next
The standoff is expected to continue as U.S. forces maintain their presence while Maduro strengthens Venezuela’s defenses.
Diplomatic engagement through the U.N. and coordination with regional allies, particularly Colombia, may influence the next phase.
