Is Venezuela about to be fucking invaded?
>Venezuela mobilizes its militia after US says it’s deploying military forces to waters around Latin America:https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/19/americas/venezuela-maduro-militia-us-military-deployment-intl-latam>US destroyers head toward waters off Venezuela as Trump aims to pressure drug cartels:https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-destroyers-maduro-drug-cartels-e33794ebc24d9031e536d132ce205b4c>Donald Trump Deploys 3 Missile Destroyers: What to Know:https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-missile-destroyers-venezuela-drug-cartels-2115786>Proposed United States invasion of Venezuela:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_United_States_invasion_of_Venezuela>Estados Unidos, “dispuesto a usar todo su poder” contra el narcotráfico desde Venezuela:https://elpais.com/us/2025-08-19/estados-unidos-dispuesto-a-usar-todo-su-poder-contra-el-narcotrafico-desde-venezuela.htmlI don't know if you've heard the news, but several US ships have sailed towards Venezuela's coast in order to "combat drug trafficking". Someone investigate the ships to see if they're old to see if they gonna false-flag Venezuela. I know that Nothing Ever Happens, but Trump has already put a price to Maduro's head and these news… I think something's cooking, something's sizzling.
Just making this thread in the case to discuss this, and to see if there are further happenings. I'm going to be honest, I'm getting bad vibes from this.
64 posts and 10 image replies omitted.>>2454528>Russia has enough arms (barely) for the war in Ukraine but they don't have anything to spare to another country.I don't believe you're correct about that. If anything with the increases in production and the ongoing attrition of the UAF there should be an accumulation of weapons happening. I think it would also depend on what weapon systems Venezuela actually has already, like what sort of artillery for example, that Russia could theoretically supply. If you have any kind of hard data you can share that indicates otherwise I'd be happy to see it though.
The political situation is another matter. Personally I don't think they'd take the US savaging yet another country lying down, especially not a prospective BRICS member. Even if the will is there to do something though I don't see them actually being able to take any direct actions to intervene outside of diplomatic or economic support.
>Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed a UN report claiming that most drug-trafficking in South America takes place in Colombia and Ecuador, rather than Venezuela, as a reason not to go after the country's authoritarian president, Nicolas Maduro."I don't care what the UN says. He's a fugitive from U.S. justice indicted by a New York grand jury. He's not the legitimate leader of Venezuela," Rubio added.
The Secretary of State said on Wednesday in Mexico that the order to "blow up" the vessel rather than interdict it came from President Donald Trump.
"And it will happen again," Rubio added. Before heading to the neighboring country, Rubio had already anticipated that the Trump administration will l "go on the offense" against cartels.
While he said that the U.S. was prepared to support Ecuador in its fight against drug traffickers, he added that the relationship between the two countries would not be about security only. The secretary of state said the U.S. is looking to expand its already “vibrant economic relationship” with the South American nation.
Rubio also referenced “cooperative governments,” which he said would help the U.S. identify and locate drug traffickers.
“They’re going to help us identify them – they’re going to help us find these people and blow them up, if that’s what it takes. They’re going to help us with it,” Rubio said.
Trump is "going to use the full power of America and the full might of the us to take on and eradicate these drug cartels no matter where they're operating from and no matter how long they've been able to act with impunity," Rubio said.
Earlier on Wednesday Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth explicitly warned the country's authoritarian President, Nicolas Maduro, saying he "should be worried" after the development.
"The only one who should be worried is Nicolas Maduro, who is acting as the kingpin of a narco state. Not actually elected and indicted for $50 million by the U.S. We know he's involved in the kind of drug-running that has affected the American people directly," Hegseth said.
https://www.latintimes.com/marco-rubio-rejects-un-report-about-drug-production-venezuela-i-dont-care-what-un-says-589192https://www.wzdm.com/2025/09/04/rubio-says-trump-wants-to-wage-war-on-venezuelan-drug-traffickers-blow-them-up-if-thats-what-it-takes/Update
This is from August 29th 1 week ago about Maduro and plans from administration from sources on what they will do. It's interesting
>What they're saying: "This is 105% about narco-terrorism, but if Maduro winds up no longer in power, no one will be crying," said one Trump administration official familiar with the policy discussions.Another administration official had a different view. "This could be Noriega part 2," the official said, referring to the U.S. military's 1989 operation to capture Panamanian President Manuel Noriega, who — like Maduro — faced U.S. drug-trafficking charges.
"The president has asked for a menu of options. And ultimately, this is the president's decision about what to do next, but Maduro should be s***ting bricks," the official said.
A third Trump adviser put it this way: "Leaving Maduro in power in Venezuela is like making Jeffrey Epstein the head of a daycare."
State of play: While administration officials have refused to rule out an invasion, nearly all privately believe it unlikely.
What's next: The prevailing administration hope is that Maduro negotiates an exit or is assassinated by members of the military anxious to collect the bounty or normalize ties with the U.S.
While an actual invasion force is hard for many to envision, officials see aggressive interdictions of suspected drug-running boats off Venezuela as all but certain. Said one official: "Some boats will definitely be caught or sunk."
Airstrikes are also a possibility. Sources speculated that targets could include sparsely populated jungle areas where cocaine production or cartel activity is suspected, or a new Russian-built ammunition plant.
Some in Trump's orbit even think Maduro could be targeted in a drone strike, given he is officially a terror suspect. Officials who spoke to Axios downplayed that possibility.
Officials acknowledge some of their beliefs about whether Maduro might flee or who would succeed him are highly speculative. After all, Trump tried for regime change in Caracas in his first term, and failed.
One U.S. official said the assumption is there's little real loyalty to Maduro inside the regime, except where he can buy it. "Where he goes, I don't think we much care. There are others in Venezuela that are equipped to run a country as well or better than he did. We're not picking any favorites."
"He might be stuck because the Cubans around him won't let him leave," said another Trump adviser. "So he might just leave in a body bag."
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/29/venezuela-ships-trump-maduro-regime-changeAnother update on this
Trump plays down possible regime change in Venezuela; US deploys stealth fighter jets
The United States is not talking about regime change in Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Friday, as the United States ordered an additional 10 stealth fighter jets to a military buildup in the Caribbean.
"We're not talking about that, but we are talking about the fact that you had an election which was a very strange election, to put it mildly," Trump said, referring to the contested 2024 election the Venezuelan government says President Nicolas Maduro won.
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Trump had been asked by reporters about a claim Maduro has made this week that the United States was seeking "regime change through military threat."
"The government of the United States should abandon its plan of violent regime change in Venezuela and in all of Latin America and respect sovereignty, the right to peace, to independence," Maduro said on state television.
"I respect Trump. None of the differences we've had can lead to a military conflict," Maduro added. "Venezuela has always been willing to converse, to dialogue."
Trump demonstrated his new approach to fighting the drug war with a U.S. military strike on Tuesday that killed 11 people and sank a boat from Venezuela which Trump said was transporting illegal narcotics.
The U.S. president is weighing options for further strikes, including potentially attacking suspected drug cartel targets inside Venezuela, CNN reported on Friday, citing multiple sources briefed on the administration's plans. Such a strike would mark a major escalation.
The White House, Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on the report.
>'THEY'LL BE SHOT DOWN'
The Trump administration has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield to conduct operations against drug cartels, sources told Reuters on Friday.
The new deployment comes on top of an already bristling U.S. military presence in the southern Caribbean as Trump carries out a campaign pledge to crack down on groups funneling drugs into the United States.
The disclosure about the F-35s came just hours after the Pentagon accused Venezuela of a "highly provocative" flight on Thursday by fighter jets near a U.S. Navy warship.
Trump warned Venezuela that the U.S. military had authorization to shoot down the jets if commanders believed they needed to, saying: "If they do put us in a dangerous position, they'll be shot down."
At every turn, the Trump administration has sought to tie Maduro's government to narco trafficking, allegations Caracas denies.
Specifically, Trump has accused Maduro of running the Tren de Aragua gang, which his administration designated a terrorist organization in February. Maduro has denied any connection to Tren de Aragua, which his government says was rendered inactive in Venezuela by a prison raid in 2023.
Trump on Friday compared the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans in overdoses to war dead, as he sought to justify the muscular military activity in the Caribbean.
"Think if you're in a war and you lose 300,000 … We're not going to allow it to happen," he said.
Venezuela's Communications Ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the F-35s or the allegations that Venezuelan fighter jets flew over a U.S. warship.
<DEMOCRAT CONDEMNS 'LAWLESS' ACTS
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity about the latest U.S. deployment, said the 10 fighter jets are being sent to conduct operations against designated narco-terrorist organizations operating in the southern Caribbean. The planes should arrive in the area by late next week, they said.
F-35s are highly advanced stealth fighters and would be effective in combat against Venezuela's air force, which includes F-16 aircraft.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two Venezuelan F-16s flew over the guided missile destroyer Jason Dunham on Thursday. The Dunham is one of at least seven U.S. warships deployed to the Caribbean, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines.
U.S. Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have also been carrying out amphibious training and flight operations in southern Puerto Rico.
The buildup has put pressure on Maduro, whom U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called "effectively a kingpin of a drug narco state."
U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, condemned what she called Trump's "lawless" actions in the southern Caribbean.
"Congress has not declared war on Venezuela, or Tren de Aragua, and the mere designation of a group as a terrorist organization does not give any President carte blanche to ignore Congress's clear Constitutional authority on matters of war and peace," Omar said in a statement.
U.S. officials have not clearly explained what legal justification was used for Tuesday's air strike on the boat or what drugs were on board.
Trump said on Tuesday, without providing evidence, that the U.S. military had identified the crew of the vessel as Tren de Aragua members.
Maduro: Venezuela will enter armed struggle if attacked
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warned that his country would "enter a phase of armed struggle" if it were subjected to any attack, while stressing that it "has always been ready for dialogue, but demands respect."
Maduro added, in a message broadcast on Venezuelan radio and television stations, that "none of the disagreements between Venezuela and the United States can lead to a military conflict," urging Washington to abandon its plan to change the regime in Caracas.
Addressing his US counterpart, Donald Trump, the Venezuelan president added, "The attempt by some Trump officials to change the regime in Venezuela is a mistake."
Maduro also denied Trump's accusations that he "leads a drug cartel," asserting that Venezuela is "a country free of cocaine production," describing the American claim as "a blatant and deceptive lie, like the lie that Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction."
"The intelligence reports they are providing to Trump are incorrect," he said. "Venezuela today is a country free of coca leaf and cocaine production, and it is a country fighting drug trafficking."
<Trump threatens to shoot down Venezuelan aircraft
The Venezuelan president's remarks came hours after his US counterpart threatened to shoot down Venezuelan military aircraft "if they pose a threat to US forces," he said.
It also came after CNN , citing informed sources, reported that Trump was "studying a range of options against drug gangs operating in Venezuela."
While Trump claims to be fighting drug trafficking in Venezuela, as a justification for the US military buildup in the Caribbean and Latin America, the latest manifestation of which was the dispatch of 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, sources said his options include "strikes on targets inside Venezuela, as part of a broader strategy aimed at weakening Maduro."
Meanwhile, CBS News quoted Pentagon officials as saying that Venezuelan aircraft flew over the USS Jason Dunham for the second time.
Maduro announced the activation of the "Bolivarian Militia for the Defense of Venezuela" for the first time, calling up more than 8 million people to ensure the country's stability and freedom
Maduro announces a "special offensive" to strengthen internal security in Venezuela
The president referred to this plan as a "new stage" of work in which "two strengths" will come together, those of the communal circuits (units of popular organization) and the "police-military power", represented by the so-called "peace quadrants".
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, announced on Tuesday the start of a "special offensive" to strengthen security throughout the country, a plan that, he said, seeks to integrate civilian, military, and police forces, reports EFE.
"Today marks the start of a special offensive to launch this line that will strengthen internal security in all 24 states of the country, especially in the capital Caracas," Maduro stated in an event broadcast by the state channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), without delving into details about the deployment.
For the president, strengthening security involves "the concrete popular-military fusion on the ground".
"With permanent action plans, focusing on life, community, but specifically on issues of tranquility, peace, and the fight against crime in all its forms," he added.
During his speech, Maduro referred to this plan as a "new stage" of work in which "two strengths" will come together, those of the communal circuits (units of popular organization) and the "police-military power", represented by the so-called "peace quadrants".
In 2018, Maduro announced the creation of the "Great Mission Peace Quadrants", with the aim of ensuring citizen security in the country.
The 'peace quadrants', according to official reports, are organizations made up of police forces and community leaders to design work methodologies against crime in areas spanning two to five kilometers.
Last Thursday, the U.S. Attorney General, Pam Bondi, shared a video on social media announcing a $50 million reward for information leading to the capture of Maduro, whom she identified as a threat to U.S. security.
Bondi accused the Venezuelan leader of using "foreign terrorist organizations such as Sinaloa and the Cartel of the Suns to introduce lethal drugs and violence" into the U.S., an assertion that has been rejected by numerous institutions, as well as Venezuelan police and military bodies.
On Tuesday, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, warned of what he considered a "serious military threat" from the U.S., a country that, he said, "shelters under the alleged right" to combat drug trafficking to "turn" Latin America into a "new scenario of colonial war".
Through a post on Telegram, in which he informed about a meeting with the accredited diplomatic corps in Venezuela, Gil made an "urgent call" to the international community to "repudiate these terrorist acts" instigated - he pointed out - by the U.S. government and "its fascist allies from the Venezuelan right".
Venezuela rejects supremacism
On Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro held a press conference with representatives of international media in which he analyzed the current geopolitical situation in the Caribbean.
During this meeting with journalists, the Bolivarian leader addressed the international situation from multiple angles, the main ones of which are presented below.
“There are still those who want to impose supremacism and view us from afar as we did in the era of colonization,” Maduro said, questioning the patterns of international domination.
“The heirs of the old colonialisms and supremacisms hold power and still view our nations with contempt and arrogance,” he emphasized, highlighting that global awareness against all forms of supremacism is awakening.
“A global awareness is rising that will not allow, under any circumstances, the imposition of a new type of supremacism or colonialism, either in Our America or in the rest of the world.”
Commander Chavez’s legacy has allowed the Bolivarian nation to defeat the blockade
President Maduro maintained that although Commander Hugo Chavez died 12 years ago, his ideas and work live on in the revolutionary socialism that Venezuela champions.
“We fought against the sanctions and the blockade and defeated them… Today, Venezuela’s economic system is robust. We also fought and defeated the political blockade.”
The attack on the Venezuelan presidential image seeks to destabilize the country
The Bolivarian leader emphasized that “empires need to demonize a leader to demonize a project… The attack is not against Maduro but against a people and a sacred history. Gentlemen imperialists: You have not been able, nor will you be able, now or ever, to defeat that history.”
The Bolivarian leader reaffirmed Venezuela’s position as a bastion of anti-colonialism and resistance, emphasizing that his nation stands as an example of a new global consciousness that rejects hegemonic power dynamics.
“Its words resonate in a geopolitical context marked by multipolarity, where the global south seeks to consolidate its sovereignty in the face of external interference,” he said.
Maduro described Venezuela’s historical trajectory as a path of struggle, resistance, and revolution that extends into the 21st century through humanistic socialism. “This development model is distinguished by its inclusive nature and its commitment to the majority,” President Maduro explained.
Solidarity SVG Calls to Condemn the US Threats On Venezuela’s Sovereignty: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Solidarity with Venezuela Committee issued a statement calling for action in the face of the recent violation of Venezuelan maritime space by a US flotilla -which includes a nuclear submarine and more than 4,000 troops- constitutes an illegitimate aggression under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.
“Saint Vincent & The Grenadines and CARICOM nations cannot but be very concerned about the violations of Venezuela’s sovereign maritime space by a flotilla of US warships and a nuclear-powered submarine, in the name of fighting drugs,” the statement reads.
Also the SVG Solidarity with Venezuela Committee recalls that United Nations agencies have repeatedly reported that Venezuela is not complicit in the illegal drugs trade and that “Caracas has always cooperated fully with international agencies in combatting the drug trade.”
The US military operation is described as a dangerous action that could lead to a war with serious consequences for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Caribbean, Latin America and the whole world.
Solidarity SVG highlights the current international context, marked by war in Ukraine, genocide in Gaza and Palestine, and other conflicts, which require efforts to maintain peace and not to encourage military interventions and threats in the region.
The solidarity committee also recalls with gratitude Venezuela’s solidarity with the Caribbean countries, especially through initiatives such as PetroCaribe and the Free Trade Area for Latin America and the Caribbean project, which have directly benefited nations like yours.
More than 300 Venezuelans return home from the US
A total of 319 Venezuelans—281 men, 31 women, 6 boys, and 1 girl—arrived this Friday at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira, from Texas, United States, on flight 63 of the (Gran Misión Vuelta a la Patria) Great ”Return to the Homeland” Mission.
The returnees were received by Venezuelan authorities, including officials from the Scientific, Criminal, and Criminal Investigation Corps (CICPC), the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), and the Bolivarian National Police Corps.
The Return to the Homeland Plan offers legal assistance, educational, cultural, and sports reintegration, and socioeconomic protection, consolidating itself as a humanitarian initiative for the safe return of Venezuelans.
Russia Backs Venezuela and Condemns U.S. Warship Deployment in the Caribbean
Russia expressed its full support for the Venezuelan government and people amid the deployment of U.S. warships in the Caribbean.
“Practices of military intervention must remain in the past,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said after the U.S. deployed warships off the Venezuelan coast.
The Russian diplomat confirmed that her country “categorically rejects the threat of the use of force against sovereign states as an instrument of foreign policy.”
Venezuela has “the inalienable right to freely determine its political, economic and social path without external pressures,” she said, warning the international community about the risks implied by the U.S. militarization of the Caribbean.
On Thursday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced that the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) have neutralized a total of 402 aircraft linked to drug trafficking in operations carried out across the country.
The most recent operation took place in Maroa municipality in Amazonas state, where Venezuelan troops captured an aircraft, disabled a logistics camp and seized strategic materials from criminal groups.
“Nothing stops us! Venezuela has not been and will not be a route for illicit drug trafficking!” Padrino Lopez said on social media.
The defense minister reaffirmed the Venezuelan government’s ongoing commitment to combating transnational organized crime, particularly in border and strategic areas.
These results contrast with international narratives that portray Venezuela as a narco state, he said, arguing that concrete actions and verifiable figures demonstrate the effectiveness of national security operations.
Pretty interesting article from Tom Sharp in the Torygraph:
I’ve gone up against drug smugglers in the Caribbean. Here’s my take on Trump’s new Venezuela war
The situation with Venezuela has been brewing for some time but with boats allegedly carrying drugs now subject to trial-by-missile and Maduro’s jets buzzing US destroyers, it shows all the signs of escalating further. Or as far as a mismatch of this magnitude is able to, at least.
Perhaps the start of this latest crescendo was in February this year when the US president terminated Venezuela’s Temporary Protected Status and ramped up sanctions. President Maduro, not unsurprisingly, immediately reached out to Russia for support.
Then in August, Trump signed a directive authorising the use of force against Latin American cartels and framing Venezuela as a narco-state hub for fentanyl. There has also been a pretty remarkable deployment of US naval force into the area, starting with three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. This increase led to questions about whether or not this was a precursor to a “blockade” of some sort. The destroyers were followed by a Wasp-class big deck amphibious assault ship and two amphibious transport docks – what the US calls an “amphibious ready group”. These ships are the mobile base for the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit – 2,500 US Marines with all their amazing toys: tiltrotors, stealth jumpjets, hovercraft, swimming armour and the rest. Then to top things off a Ticonderoga-class missile cruiser and a nuclear powered attack submarine arrived on the scene. By this point people were not talking “blockade” but “invasion”.
Trump’s Venezuela task group counts 140,200 tons of ships. That’s more than Britain’s one and only Carrier Strike Group, which is in the Indo-Pacific just now. In fact, the USN has deployed about half of the Royal Navy’s cumulative warship and attack submarine tonnage – just for Venezuela.
We’ve now seen an event that may have ratcheted the tension to new levels. A small vessel, allegedly operated by Venezuelan drug cartel “Tren de Aragua” with 11 suspected gang members onboard, was destroyed by an air-to-surface missile – most likely from an MQ-9 “Reaper” drone.
The debate on the legality of this was not long coming, with various lawyers predominantly saying, “I think we just witnessed a war crime” and the vice-president of the USA – a graduate of Yale Law School – saying, “I don’t give a s–t”. Trump and his people believe that having designated Tren de Aragua as terrorists, they can be killed on the president’s orders: as Osama bin Laden was on the orders of then president Obama, or as General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was during Trump’s first term.
I have a couple of thoughts on the engagement, having operated against drug smugglers in those parts back in the day. First, I don’t think that boat had the legs to make it to the mainland US. More likely it was bound for an island in the Caribbean or planning a transfer to another boat. This muddies the waters.
Second, I’ve never seen a drug smuggling boat like this with 11 people onboard. Six is the most I’ve ever seen, and that was a larger boat – and two of those were… umm… on our side. Speed is everything in that game. This boat was overweight and, in the clip where they were engaged at least, only doing about 20 knots. This is unusual. The boats we chased were so fast – 60 plus knots – we had to send our helicopter to chase them down. The helicopter would carry a Royal Marine sniper who would shoot out their engines with a heavy rifle so that we could catch them in the ship.
Third, on the two occasions I did counter-drug operations in the Caribbean, US intelligence was not always right as to who was a smuggler and who wasn’t. In fact, we preferred working with the Dutch out of Curaçao who were faster and more accurate. I’m not saying US intelligence in this case was wrong, just saying that they don’t have a God’s eye picture at all times.
Finally, we also considered this kind of interdiction a law enforcement activity, not counter-terrorism or combat. We would have a US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) embarked to carry out the actual arrests (we didn’t use British people as doing this part of the job could mean a lot of time spent in court in the US). The chase and the sniping were clearly military activities but then the LEDET would board the boat and cuff the smugglers. The idea of setting out to kill the bad guys was never even discussed and is a change that has surprised most of us familiar with how these operations are conducted. Those in favour of this change in attitude may say “this is what we voted for”. In terms of deterrence it’s hard to argue with, no matter how many difficulties you have with the legality – or how many times you ask “Where does this shift in policy end up?”
Both sides have their aims. The US wants to choke some of the drug pipelines fuelling its horrifying opioid problem which is killing more than 100,000 Americans every year. Trump projects toughness, eyeing domestic gains by labelling Venezuela a narco-threat.
Maduro for his part just wants regime survival. Venezuela is in rickety condition. Oddly, its oil – arguably its main legitimate business – can only be sold easily to America, which has refineries set up to deal with its “sour” sulphurous crude. But a lot of money can be made selling other things to America, and Trump’s allegations that Venezuela is now a “narco-state” are perfectly credible.
“What’s next” is less clear, to me at least. There is certainly room to escalate further. Venezuela could increase grey-zone activities such as harassment of tankers, undersea sabotage, use of drones, GPS jamming etc. They have a stock of mines and even suggesting these are in use can impact shipping and insurance rates.
One thing is for sure, the Venezuelans should stop buzzing the US destroyers in their F-16 fighter jets. This is a bad idea. It achieves very little and it would be the easiest thing in the world for the US Navy to destroy one in self-defence, particularly now that they have new and permissive rules of engagement. It’s an incredibly foolish move to fly a plane anywhere in line of sight of an Arleigh Burke that might be willing to take a shot at you. One of the things I have quite admired about the US Navy over the years – just from a purely military perspective, as a missile man myself – is that they generally don’t need much encouragement in this regard.
But as an older and wiser head these days, I’d say there’s already quite enough trouble in the world today. It’s to be hoped that Trump and Maduro can resolve their differences – or at any rate, rub along somehow – without getting any more people killed.
This is looking less and less good by the day, anons. You should probably start paying attention.
Top U.S. Military Leaders Visit Puerto Rico As Caribbean Operations Aimed At Venezuela Heat Up
he Pentagon’s two top leaders traveled to Puerto Rico amid growing tensions with Venezuela and its leader, Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. territory is serving as a staging ground for the arrival of equipment and personnel as the Trump administration continues bringing assets to the fight against drug cartels. The Trump administration considers Maduro a narco-terrorist and cartel leader.
During his visit, Hegseth flew a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey to the USS Iwo Jima, the lead ship in the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG). The ship is part of the counter-narcotics effort and currently stationed about 30 miles south of Puerto Rico.
The visit was embraced by Puerto Rico’s governor.
“Honored to welcome Secretary of War Pete Hegseth…along with General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff…to Puerto Rico,” Jennifer González-Colón said on X Monday morning. President Donald Trump last week signed an executive order changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
“We thank POTUS Trump and his Administration for recognizing the strategic value Puerto Rico has to the national security of the United States and the fight against drug cartels in our hemisphere, perpetuated by narco-dictator Nicolas Maduro. We are proud to support America First policies that secure our borders and combat illicit activities to protect Americans and our homeland.”
Hegseth and Caine met with González-Colón at the Muñiz Air National Guard Base in Isla Verde, according to the Puerto Rican El Nuevo Dia media outlet.
The War Secretary “delivered a message to nearly 300 soldiers there, according to the governor, who was accompanied by the adjutant general of the National Guard. Colonel Carlos José Rivera Román, and the Secretary of Public Security, Arturo Garffer,” the publication reported.
The visit to Puerto Rico comes as some 4,500 sailors and Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) continue to conduct amphibious landing training exercises that began Aug. 31.
“Although the Pentagon initially reported that these were routine exercises, the increased military presence in Puerto Rico—which has sparked protests—was gradually linked to the Trump administration’s show of force in waters near Venezuela,” El Nuevo Dia posited.
The Pentagon has declined to comment about the trip to Puerto Rico by Hegseth and Caine, but it comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump offered an ominous response to a question about whether American forces will strike drug cartel targets inside Venezuela.
“Well, you’re going to find out,” Trump answered. He offered no further explanation about what he meant.
The U.S. has already carried out one kinetic strike, against a suspected drug boat operated by the Tren de Aragua (TDA) cartel. TDA has been deemed a narco-terror organization by Trump. The attack destroyed the vessel, killing 11 people on it, Trump announced last week. The incident has raised questions about killing suspects without a trial and the use of force without Congressional approval.
Trump and Hegseth have both said that deadly strikes against cartels will continue.
Images emerged on social media of at least two MQ-9 Reaper drones in Puerto Rico. They appear to be there as part of the counter-narcotics mission. These aircraft can carry a variety of missiles as well as sensors for surveillance and can loiter for more than 24 hours over a target, making them an ideal platform for these missions. Reuters took a photo of one of the Reapers carrying sensor pods and armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.
The New York Times reported that a Reaper could have been involved in the boat attack.
We have reached out to the Air Force, Pentagon and White House for further clarification, as well as details about how often, if at all, Reapers have been so deployed to fight drug trafficking in the Caribbean. We also asked for comment on whether at least one Reaper took part in the attack on the drug boat, which is a likely scenario. The Air Force deferred us to the Pentagon. We will update this story with any pertinent details provided.
Of note is that the U.S. in the past months has operated MQ-9 variants over Mexico in the fight against cartels there. There have also been unarmed variants operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seen in Puerto Rico.
In response to the boat attack, Venezuelan Air Force F-16 Vipers conducted a flight near the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham, a U.S. official confirmed to us. CBS News reported a second encounter, but The War Zone cannot independently verify that.
Meanwhile, Trump on Friday said that U.S. Navy ships can shoot down Venezuelan aircraft that “put us in a dangerous position.”
The Dunham is one of at least eight warships, including a Los Angeles class nuclear-powered submarine, that have been ordered to the Caribbean by Trump. A U.S. official told us on Monday that those ships have not moved since we wrote about this deployment last week.
As we recently pointed out, the American leader also ordered 10 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to deploy to Puerto Rico, though it remains unclear where they will come from, when they arrive and what they will do once they get there. However, as we have previously pointed out, the F-35 offers a lot of capabilities. In addition to carrying out strikes, these fifth-generation aircraft also have a variety of sensors that make it an ideal intelligence-gathering platform. You can read more about that here.
In addition, open source flight trackers have pointed that numerous U.S. transport aircraft have been making trips to Puerto Rico. There have been no official indications that additional troops are on the way for this effort; however, the transports could be carrying manpower and materiel needed for a sustained campaign.
While ostensibly to counter drug trafficking, a source familiar with these operations told us that the deployments are also a message to Maduro.
The Venezuelan leader was indicted in a New York federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency. He and 14 others, including several close allies, were hit with federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy with the Colombian FARC insurgent group to import cocaine. The U.S., as we previously mentioned, has issued a $50 million reward for his capture.
Speaking of, Maduro, on Sunday, he claimed he was moving 25,000 more troops to the border with Colombia in an effort to fight drug traffickers. Whether that is a real deployment or will have any effect on U.S. operations is unlikely.
As we have noted, the presence of high-end assets like 10 F-35s does not necessarily signal that the U.S. is planning to go to to war directly with Venezuela.
As more assets arrive in the region in the coming days, we will keep you informed on how the mission develops.
<Update: 5:13 PM Eastern –
The Pentagon released a video of Hegseth addressing troops aboard the Iwo Jima.
“Make no mistake about it, what you’re doing right now, it’s not training,” he proclaimed. “This is the real-world exercise on behalf of the vital national interests of the United States of America to end the poisoning of the American people.”
>>2466690He is Argentinian, probably a Mileist who came from the ships who supports video attached.
If he defends his class interest would be understandable, being in a neocolonial bourg is relative easier than a industrial one, but a facho pobre is a facho pobre
>>2466626holy shit such a colossal cunt
>In terms of deterrence it’s hard to argue withnot really. Drug running in latam is a plenty dangerous business, if risk of death was a dealbreaker nobody would be doing it, and what is the likelihood they will expend a missile on every random fucking boat
>The US wants to choke some of the drug pipelines fuelling its horrifying opioid problem thats complely false and ertarded, the aim is clearly pure poltiical posturing spectacle and communication on one side, and pressur on venezuela on the other, it has nothing to do with drugs
also, the US opioid problem, entirely self inflicted, is as far as I know mostly coming from completely legal sources, nobody bother to smuggle fentanyl into the us
>Maduro for his part just wants regime survivaland venezuelan sovereignty, and the resources on its soil to serve its social programs rather than fill US petro companies pockets
but libs will never admit to this, as the mere concept of serving the people rather than businesses and international finance is anathema to them
>Trump’s allegations that Venezuela is now a “narco-state” are perfectly crediblewhat? no they're absolutely not you fuckface
really show how much they are two faced little bitches running pure imperial propaganda while cloaking it behind super mild criticism
>the Venezuelans should stop buzzing the US destroyers in their F-16 fighter jets. This is a bad ideaoh yeah, when we come threaten you in your own waters, you should be a submissive little bitch and not even attempt to monitor our hostile deployments.
>it would be the easiest thing in the world for the US Navy to destroy one in self-defence>self defenceas yes the famous self defence of invading a sovereign nation space and then shooting at them
also dont be too confident cunt destroying a us navy boat with an anti ship missile isnt that hard either
>One of the things I have quite admired about the US Navy over the years – just from a purely military perspective, as a missile man myself – is that they generally don’t need much encouragement in this regard.<yeesss I love shooting missiles without good reasons, BLOOD FOR THE EMPIRE
>’s to be hoped that Trump and Maduro can resolve their differences <my country unilaterally attack and try to destroy a poor country for decades for having the audacity to not be our bitches<I hope we can "resolve our differences"these people should really get gulaged
>>2468353https://www.telesurtv.net/venezuela-fanb-operacion-psicologica-ee-uu/Another day, another
<Venezuelan armed forces denounce another US attempt to create a false positive to justify interventionIn short, another fabricated Tonkin, now a helicopter and the vz are cutting before loose that they are not touching said aircrafts.
The clock ticks but does not move, for the better I hope
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