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The United States is deploying over 4,000 personnel and more ships off Venezuela to target drug cartels, fueling speculation and political tension.
US Sent Warships Towards Venezuela (File Image)
United Nations has sent five warships and around 4000 soldiers towards Venezuela to deal with the ‘Cartel de los Soles’. As per the US officials, the deployment aims to address threats from Latin American drug cartels.
However, if experts are to be believed, such a drug cartel does not even exist. As per a report by Firstpost, Venezuela and its neighbor Colombia deny the existence of any such group.
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Amid the large US naval buildup in the Southern Caribbean and nearby waters, tensions rose between the United States and Venezuela.
US President Donald Trump has emphasised the crackdown on drug cartels, as part of a broader effort to limit migration and secure the southern US border.
While the US Coast Guard and Navy frequently operate in the Southern Caribbean, this buildup is notably larger than typical deployments in the area.
A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters on Thursday that seven US warships, along with one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, were either in the region or were expected to be there in the coming week.
However, the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has denounced the moves.
The Pentagon has not publicly detailed the US mission, but the Trump administration has indicated the military can now target drug cartels and criminal groups, and has instructed the Pentagon to prepare options.
Venezuela lodged a complaint with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, accusing Washington of violating the founding UN Charter with its naval buildup.
“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,” Venezuela’s U.N. Ambassador Samuel Moncada told reporters after meeting with Guterres.
On Thursday, the White House said Trump was ready to use “every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country.”
“Many Caribbean nations and many nations in the region have applauded the administration’s counter drug operations and efforts,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
The Trump administration designated Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and other drug gangs, as well as the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, as global terrorist organizations in February.
Part of the naval buildup includes the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale, which collectively carry 4,500 service members, including 2,200 Marines, sources told Reuters.
The U.S. military has also been flying P-8 spy planes in the region to gather intelligence, officials have said, though they have operated in international waters.
“Our diplomacy isn’t the diplomacy of cannons, of threats, because the world cannot be the world of 100 years ago,” said Maduro, whose government said last week it would send 15,000 troops to states along its western border with Colombia to combat drug trafficking groups.
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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