Caracas is set to send 25,000 soldiers to coastal states after American warships arrived in the Caribbean to counter drug cartels
Venezuela is set to boost its military deployments in coastal and border states amid heightened tensions with the US. The move comes after Washington dispatched several warships to the Southern Caribbean last month in what it describes as an operation against drug cartels.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced on Sunday that President Nicolas Maduro had ordered the deployment of “all available” troops and equipment to the states of Zulia, Falcon, Nueva Esparta, Sucre, and Delta Amacuro. He added that Caracas will increase troop deployments from around 10,000 to 25,000, noting that the area constitutes a “drug trafficking route.”
“No one is going to step on this land and do what we’re supposed to do,” Padrino said in a video uploaded to social media.
Last month, Venezuela also mobilized 15,000 troops to its border with Colombia.
The latest deployments come amid weeks of rising tensions with Washington. The US has mobilized three warships and around 4,000 troops to the Southern Caribbean, saying the operations are aimed at countering drug cartels.
Last week, the US Navy sank a boat it claimed was transporting drugs from Venezuela, killing 11 people. After the incident, two Venezuelan jets conducted a flyover of a US warship. President Donald Trump has said Venezuelan planes could be shot down if they pose a threat to American vessels.
Despite Washington’s claims that its operations are focused on combating drug trafficking, Maduro has accused the US of seeking regime change in Venezuela. He has urged Washington to abandon its alleged plans, saying he respects Trump and that Caracas is open to dialogue. He has also vowed to declare Venezuela a “republic in arms” if attacked.
Last week, Trump denied seeking regime change, but questioned Maduro’s legitimacy. He has also argued that the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans from drugs justify expanded US military activity in the Caribbean.
The US is currently offering a $50 million bounty for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, accusing him of collaborating with organized crime groups. Maduro has repeatedly denied the allegations.
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