The Trump administration has escalated military threats against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro under the pretext of a “counter-narcotics operation.”
Just two days after declaring an initiative to eliminate drug trafficking organizations in Latin America, the Trump administration deployed approximately 4,000 Navy and Marine personnel to the Caribbean Sea north of Venezuela on August 21. The task force included three Aegis destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, and submarines, all under the command of the US Navy’s Fourth Fleet.
Earlier, on the 7th, the US State Department doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro to $50 million. White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt falsely accused Maduro of being not a legitimate president but the head of a criminal organization on the run from justice.
Since his first term, Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on Venezuela, labeling the country as a hub and transit point for drugs produced in Latin America and destined for the US. The Trump administration has also claimed that the highest echelons of the Venezuelan government are linked to the drug cartel known as the “Cartel of the Suns.”
In response to the US naval deployment in the Caribbean, Maduro issued an unusual order on August 18 to mobilize 4.5 million members of the national militia. Countries such as Mexico and China have condemned the US’s military threats and interference in other countries’ internal affairs under the guise of a counter-narcotics campaign.
Some people believe that Trump may attempt another regime-change operation in Venezuela, as he tried during his first term, or even launch a military invasion. The US has continued to challenge the legitimacy of Maduro’s presidency, which was achieved through lawful and official elections.
Meanwhile, questions are being raised about Trump’s true motives behind his pressure campaign on Venezuela. Some argue that gaining control over Venezuela—a country with the world’s largest proven oil reserves—would allow the US to undermine OPEC’s attempts to cut production and deal a blow to China’s energy supply chain. Trump is known to have repeatedly hinted at overthrowing the Maduro government and seizing Venezuelan oil.
