Three US Navy warships are reportedly en route to the coast of Venezuela and could arrive by the weekend, as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign against Latin American drug cartels and pressures President Nicolás Maduro.
According to sources cited by Reuters and AFP, the amphibious squadron includes three Aegis-class guided missile destroyers — USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale — carrying around 4,500 service members, including 2,200 Marines. The fleet could reach Venezuelan waters as early as Sunday.
While officials declined to specify the exact mission, US authorities say the deployment is part of a broader effort to counter what Washington has designated as “narco-terrorist” threats in the Caribbean region.
Washington increases pressure on Maduro
The operation follows the Trump administration’s recent decision to double the bounty on Maduro’s arrest to $50 million over alleged cocaine trafficking ties. The US accuses him of leading the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns), which has been linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua crime group.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday:
“President Trump has been very clear and consistent, he’s prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”
Venezuela responds with militia mobilization
In response, President Maduro announced the activation of over 4.5 million militia members across Venezuela to guard against what he called US “threats.”
“This week, I will activate a special plan with more than 4.5 million militiamen to ensure coverage of the entire national territory,” Maduro declared in a televised address.
He also ordered the grounding of all drones for 30 days, which observers see as a precaution against possible airstrikes.
Regional implications
Al Jazeera’s Latin America editor Lucia Newman noted that Trump’s move is being viewed as a message to the wider region, not just Venezuela:
“They say today it may be Venezuela, tomorrow it could be any one of them.”
The aggressive military posture has raised questions across Latin America about why Washington is escalating force so close to home, while simultaneously branding itself as a global peacemaker.
