Imminent arrival of three United States destroyers off the coast of Venezuela

The Prime Minister of Curaçao, Gilmar Pisas, confirmed on Tuesday the imminent arrival of three destroyers from the United States Navy to the Caribbean island, as part of the naval deployment announced by President Donald Trump to combat narcoterrorist groups in Latin America, especially the Cártel de los Soles, the criminal arm of Nicolás Maduro's regime in Venezuela.

The vessels are the USS Jason Dunham, which will arrive on August 28, the USS Gravely, and the USS Sampson, all of the Arleigh Burke class, equipped with guided missiles and advanced capabilities for counter-narcotics operations in international waters.

The objective of this operation is to combat drug groups designated as terrorists, such as the Cártel de los Soles, responsible for introducing cocaine and fentanyl into United States markets, drugs that cause thousands of deaths every year. The fleet joins another seven ships and a submarine already deployed in the region.

Trump has made the fight against transnational drug trafficking a priority, linking the Chavista regime to these criminal networks, in a context where intelligence reports reveal cartel operations even from Dubai with connections in Iran.

Curaçao, an autonomous island of the Kingdom of the Netherlands located 37 miles (60 kilometers) off the Venezuelan coast, serves as a strategic base in the Southern Caribbean. Pisas emphasized that the presence of the destroyers strengthens regional cooperation against organized crime without affecting local sovereignty. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan dictator replied with militia mobilizations and accusations of imperialism to try to divert attention and portray himself as a victim.

The Cártel de los Soles, led by figures such as Diosdado Cabello, Maduro's right-hand man, was declared a terrorist organization by the US, Ecuador, Paraguay, and recently Argentina, which allows the application of financial sanctions that weaken its money laundering, drug trafficking, and arms networks.

The naval operation, which involves more than 6,700 Marines in the total fleet, underscores Trump's commitment to hemispheric security, in contrast to positions such as that of Colombia's communist president, Gustavo Petro, who denies the existence of the cartel despite intelligence evidence.