Illustrative image. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
United States President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Puerto Rico and is considering strikes against drug cartels in Venezuela, CNN reported on September 6.
Citing multiple sources, the news network said that the Trump administration is considering attacks on drug trafficking groups inside Venezuela as part of a broader strategy aimed at weakening the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro.
Last month, the administration doubled the reward for the arrest of Maduro to $50 million on drug trafficking charges then deployed a large naval force close to Venezuela on a counter-drug cartel mission. The force is made up of seven warships, some armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, and a nuclear attack submarine. More than 4,500 US service members, including some 2,200 Marines, are reported to be aboard the vessels.
On September 2, a U.S. strike hit a speedboat in the Caribbean that Trump said belonged to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization that he has tied to Maduro. The U.S. The president said that 11 people were killed in the US attack that Caracas labelled an “extrajudicial killing” of civilians.
Two days after the deadly strike, the Pentagon accused Venezuela of carrying out a “highly provocative” move by sending two F-16 fighter planes to fly near the guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham, one of the warships deployed near the country.
The deployment of the F-35s was apparently a response to this incident. The fighter jets were sent to an airfield in Puerto Rico, where a Marine unit is currently conducting amphibious landing training exercises. The unit in question is a part of the naval force deployed near Venezuela.
Trump wanted Venezuela on September 5 that the U.S. military had authorization to shoot down the jets if ship commanders believe they pose a threat to their vessels, saying: “If they do put us in a dangerous position, they’ll be shot down.”
Asked on the same day if he would like to see regime change in Venezuela, Trump said, “We’re not talking about that.”
“But we are talking about the fact that [Venezuela] had an election, which was a very strange election, to put it mildly,” Trump said, referring to last year’s presidential elections in Venezuela.
According to CNN, some Trump officials believe the strike this week and future strikes on Venezuelan drug cartels could put pressure on people around Maduro who have benefitted from the illicit trade, potentially forcing them to consider ways to oust the Venezuelan leader.
“The preferred course of action is for Maduro to leave on his own, to read the tea leaves,” one source briefed on the administration’s plans told the network. “And then I think the message is ‘Do you want it to be easy or do you want it to be hard?’”
From his side, Maduro called on September 5 for the US to “abandon its plan of violent regime change in Venezuela and in all of Latin America”.
“I respect Trump. None of the differences we’ve had can lead to a military conflict,” he said. “Venezuela has always been willing to converse, to dialogue.”
Despite showing openness for dialogue with Washington, Maduro has been preparing for the worst. In recent weeks, he mobilized Venezuela’s military, which numbers about 340,000 soldiers, amid weeks of US threats, and reservists and militia members, which he claimed exceed eight million.
In addition, it was confirmed on September 6 that the Venezuelan military had deployed Iranian-made boats armed with anti-ship missiles.
CNN’s latest report confirms that the U.S. is just one step away from a military intervention in Venezuela under the pretext of targeting drug cartels. What the Trump administration is clearly hoping for is a coup in Caracas.
The U.S. stands to gain a lot from a regime change in Venezuela, which has the world’s largest oil reserve. However, it appears that Maduro, the military and many in the country are willing to put on a fight. Initiating any military operation then facing resistance would be the worst case scenario for Washington.
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do you think syrians will be very proud when they join the myanmar people in club genocidal nations?before the russian betrayal, they were proud of their diversity, but now they can be proud of their genocide.
not sure the russians betrayed. the country was exhausted by israel, usa, and turkey. assad left and now a libya situation is unfolding.
the war department needs some street cred’
stupid yankees.
dying empires always do this stuff.
i depend on hillbilly tranny’s and venezuelan drug dealers to tolerate my ugly nort american dystopia
amerikunts and jews are useless. they always looking to dig their graves that extra bit deeper
it looks like a continuation of the multipolar world. genocide of the jews, extended by robbing south american countrys, and the europeans as usual commit suicide for the wealth of “us”. they must be christian 😂 as long as missiles not start to ponder “us”, a multipolar world are more like the third reich.
deep state rockefeller types create another folly. the amerikan regime has much power to destroy, and never create. a 30 year gorilla war will destroy the usa. international reaction will bring boycotts and sanctions.
international aid/ arms shipments will reach venezuela despite the cia supported drug cartels in ecuador, mexico and peru. the drug business has funded a second army to attack venezuela. this pirate army is modeled and run like al queda and isis. terrible. expect false flags for press release
us evil miltiry and zionist goverment always looking for the excuses to wage war on the opponent country who dont bow to them. what surprise me is that us army is like zombies what ever us goverment lies and say us army is ready to die for that evil govement of zionist
any fool who believes this us aggression is about drugs need to give their head a wobble, its about installing a puppet and stealing the oil, period, i almost wish the criminals would try landing some marines on the beach where the venezuelans could chop them to pieces, what maduro has to be aware of are traitors and quislings in the country.
“my god! i hate drugs”
– rodrigo roa duterte (former president of the republic of the philippines)
but will china and india come to maduro’s rescue unlike what they didn’t do for russia?…