The president deployed three warships and an attack submarine to combat Nicolás Maduro's Cartel of the Suns
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In an unprecedented move, President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of a powerful naval force off the coast of Venezuela, aiming to halt the advance of drug trafficking in the region and strike directly at the Cártel de los Soles, the criminal organization linked to Nicolás Maduro's regime.
According to sources cited by Reuters, three Aegis guided-missile destroyers – the USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham, and the USS Sampson – will arrive at the Venezuelan coast within the next 36 hours. They will be joined by an attack submarine as part of a strategy intended to suffocate the operations of the cartels designated by Washington as global terrorist organizations.
Donald J. Trump. y Nicolas Maduro.
The scale of the operation reflects the commitment of the Trump administration. According to a U.S. official, approximately 4,000 sailors and marines will take part in the mission, supported by P-8 spy planes, additional warships, and international air and maritime operations.
"The process will last several months, and the deployed assets can be used not only for intelligence and surveillance but also as a launch platform for targeted attacks, if the decision is made," the source warned under condition of anonymity.
The response from Chavismo was swift. In a televised speech, Maduro described the measure as "the unprecedented and strange threat of a declining empire" and stated that Venezuela "will defend our seas, our skies, and our lands." However, the Ministry of Communications of his regime avoided issuing an official response regarding the military deployment.
Trump Donald, nuevo presidente de Estados Unidos.
Trump, who has placed the fight against the cartels at the center of his agenda, underscores with this action the direct connection between drug trafficking and the migration crisis. During his term, he had already ordered the deployment of warships to reinforce border security and intensified the pursuit of criminal gangs. In February, his administration designated the Cártel de Sinaloa, Tren de Aragua, and other criminal organizations as international terrorist groups.
Additionally, the U.S. military has intensified aerial surveillance of Mexican cartels in recent months in order to gather information that would allow the dismantling of their networks. The offensive in the Caribbean reinforces that strategy and marks a new chapter in the war on drug trafficking.
