US warships, fighter jets, and special operations forces have converged in the Caribbean Sea, and intelligence sources suggest US bombers are carrying out sorties in the region. This display of military might in northern Latin America is unseen since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Naturally, questions are being asked about President Donald Trump's intentions towards Venezuela.
Over the past two months, the Pentagon has deployed eight Navy vessels, including guided-missile destroyers, amphibious assault ships, and the nuclear-capable USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier strike group, alongside F-35 jets, MQ-9 Reaper drones, B-52 bombers, and roughly 6,500 Marines and sailors near Venezuela.
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At least 10 airstrikes have targeted suspected drug-trafficking boats off Venezuela's coast, killing nearly 50 people, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth vowing to treat Venezuelan cartels like "Al-Qaida of the Western Hemisphere".
The escalation follows Venezuela's 2024 presidential election, which the US deemed fraudulent. Maduro has offered oil concessions to the US in exchange for de-escalation, but Washington has not budged.
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