US-Venezuela strains spike amid escalating naval buildup

Tensions are mounting between the United States and Venezuela as Washington escalates its naval presence in the southern Caribbean and surrounding waters, citing threats from Latin American drug cartels.

President Donald Trump has made cracking down on cartels a cornerstone of his administration, part of a broader push to curb migration and bolster security along the U.S. southern border.

While U.S. Coast Guard and Navy vessels routinely operate in the region, officials say the current buildup is far larger than typical deployments.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity Thursday, said seven warships, along with a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, were either already in the area or expected to arrive in the coming week.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned the buildup, warning of potential escalation.

The Pentagon has not publicly detailed the mission, but the administration has authorized military action against drug cartels and criminal networks, directing the Defense Department to prepare operational options.

Venezuela on Thursday lodged a complaint with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over the U.S. naval buildup, accusing Washington of violating the U.N. Charter. “It's a massive propaganda operation to justify what the experts call kinetic action – meaning military intervention in a country that is sovereign, independent and no threat to anyone,” Venezuela’s U.N. Ambassador Samuel Moncada said after meeting with Guterres.

Also Thursday, the White House said Trump is ready to use “every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country.”

“Many Caribbean nations and many nations in the region have applauded the administration’s counter-drug operations and efforts,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

The Trump administration designated Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and other drug gangs, as well as the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, as global terrorist organizations in February. Part of the naval buildup includes the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort Lauderdale. The ships are carrying 4,500 service members, including 2,200 Marines, sources told Reuters.

The U.S. military has also flown P-8 spy planes in the region to gather intelligence, officials said, though they have remained in international waters.

“Our diplomacy isn’t the diplomacy of cannons, of threats, because the world cannot be the world of 100 years ago,” Maduro said. His government said last week it would send 15,000 troops to states along its western border with Colombia to combat drug trafficking groups.

Maduro has also called for civil defense groups to train each Friday and Saturday.

His government regularly accuses the opposition and foreign entities of conspiring with U.S. agencies such as the CIA to harm Venezuela, allegations both the opposition and the United States have denied. It characterizes sanctions as “economic war.”