The U.S. military has sent destroyers and thousands of Marines toward Venezuela as President Donald Trump doubles down on deadly drug cartels, according to reports.
At least three Aegis guided-missile destroyers — USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham among them — are part of the mission, two U.S. officials anonymously told the Associated Press Tuesday.
Another official told Reuters the deployment, which could arrive soon, involves around 4,000 Marines and soldiers “over the course of several months,” backed by spy planes, warships and a submarine so that international waters and skies are covered.
Tuesday’s massive operation marks a dramatic escalation in Trump’s push to block fentanyl and drug pipelines fueling America’s overdose crisis.
President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro looks forward during the ‘Gran Marcha Mundial por la Paz’ on August 17, 2024 in Caracas, Venezuela. (Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images)
In a televised address Monday, he vowed Venezuela would “defend our seas, our skies and our lands,” deriding U.S. pressure as “the outlandish, bizarre threat of a declining empire.”
The Pentagon has previously deployed two warships to the region to deter drug trafficking and secure the border.
Immigration enforcement has also been strengthened against alleged gang members like Tren de Aragua, MS-13 in El Salvador and six groups in Mexico.
In February, Trump designated these as foreign terrorist organizations and imposed sweeping sanctions on Maduro, labeling him a dictator.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has also been urged by Trump to cooperate further on security and clamp down on cartels. So far, Sheinbaum has rejected suggestions of military intervention.
