Trump | US forces in the southern Caribbean: A threat to Venezuela

The threat of US military intervention on foreign territory in the fight against drug cartels has been looming since US President Donald Trump took office. In February, the US government placed eight Latin American drug cartels on its list of "terrorist organizations," including six from Mexico. The US State Department thus implemented a decree signed by President Trump on the day he took office on January 20.

The conditions for an intervention are apparently being created. Citing two sources familiar with the decision, the Reuters news agency reported that air and naval forces have already been deployed to the southern Caribbean. A US official said that reconnaissance aircraft, warships, and at least one nuclear-powered submarine have been deployed.

The official added that the units could also be used for targeted attacks. "This deployment is aimed at combating the threat to U.S. national security posed by specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region," one of the Reuters sources said. CNN reported that more than 4,000 Marines were deployed to the waters. The U.S. Navy confirmed the deployment of several ships on Friday.

A few days ago, the US daily newspaper "The New York Times" revealed that Trump signed a secret order instructing the Pentagon to use military force against foreign drug cartels classified as "terrorist" organizations. "The order provides the official basis for the possibility of direct military operations in foreign waters and on foreign soil against the cartels," the newspaper stated. At the end of January, the Trump administration classified Mexican cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel and other crime syndicates such as the Venezuelan "Tren de Aragua" and the Salvadoran MS-13 as foreign terrorist organizations.

The reports are being closely followed in neighboring Mexico. During his first term in office, Trump proposed unilaterally bombing targets in Mexico; a suggestion that was rejected by his military advisors. Trump also repeatedly offered to send US troops to Mexico to combat drug trafficking. The Mexican government reiterated that it would not allow unilateral US military operations in Mexico. In general, the two countries' cooperation in combating drugs is currently considered very cooperative .

Retired Colonel Craig Deare, a former military attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico and now an instructor at the U.S. National War College, recalled in an interview with the Mexican daily newspaper La Jornada that in 1989 the U.S. used a similar authorization to send 20,000 troops to Panama and overthrow and capture President Manuel Antonio Noriega, who was charged with drug trafficking . "US policy today could consider the use of military force under certain circumstances," Deare said. "The case of the [Nicolás] Maduro regime in Venezuela could be one such case. The recent statement by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who called Maduro 'one of the world's largest drug traffickers and a threat to our national security,' could pave the way for military action."

US Attorney General Bondi recently doubled the bounty on Venezuela's president to $50 million. Washington accuses Maduro of leading the so-called "Los Soles" cartel and "bringing deadly drugs and violence to our country." Last week, US authorities in the Dominican Republic seized approximately $700 million worth of alleged Maduro assets—planes, jewelry, and villas. Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez denounced this as manipulation, stating that it was a case of theft of Venezuelan government aircraft.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated the accusations against Maduro on Thursday: "The Maduro regime is not a legitimate government. We have never recognized it as such." It is "a criminal organization that has essentially taken control of the territory of a country." The Los Soles Cartel is "a criminal organization masquerading as a government," Rubio said. President Trump will "confront any threat to the national security of the United States."