President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of U.S. warships to waters off the coast of Venezuela in a show of force aimed at countering Latin American drug cartels. The move comes just weeks after the Trump administration announced a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
According to a U.S. official familiar with the operation, seven naval vessels — including three guided-missile destroyers and a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine — carrying approximately 4,500 military personnel are either already positioned in the region or en route.
While the Pentagon has not publicly detailed the scope of the mission, the deployment is part of a broader anti-narcotics initiative. President Trump recently expanded the military’s role in combating drug trafficking, blaming cartels for the rise in fentanyl and other illicit drugs in the U.S.
“The president is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday. She added that several Caribbean and Latin American nations support the administration’s anti-drug efforts.
However, the increased U.S. military presence has raised tensions with Venezuela. President Maduro, whom Trump considers an illegitimate leader accused of election fraud, responded with harsh rhetoric and a call to arms.
“There’s no way they can enter Venezuela,” Maduro declared on Thursday, urging citizens to join a volunteer militia to defend the nation’s sovereignty. He claimed Venezuela is now better prepared than ever to repel any foreign aggression. Maduro previously vowed to mobilize 4.5 million militia members in response to perceived threats from the U.S.
Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Moncada, condemned the deployment, calling it a “massive propaganda operation” designed to justify potential military action. “This is about preparing for kinetic action — military intervention — against a sovereign nation that poses no threat,” Moncada said.
The U.S. Justice Department has accused Maduro of leading the “Cartel de los Soles,” a criminal organization responsible for trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine and other drugs to the United States over the past two decades. In July, the group was officially designated as a global terrorist organization.
A Trump administration official, speaking to Axios, said the Venezuelan government should take the U.S. military buildup seriously, drawing comparisons to the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama that resulted in the capture of President Manuel Noriega. “The president has asked for a menu of options,” the official said.
