Southern Command released a video showing Marines' amphibious maneuvers in Puerto Rico and other areas of the Caribbean
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The United States Southern Command released a video featuring footage of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit executing amphibious training operations in Puerto Rico. The scenes show landings with helicopters, tanks, and boats as part of a broader military deployment ordered by President Donald Trump.
According to Washington, these exercises are part of the regional strategy to strengthen security and curb drug trafficking routes that cross the Caribbean.
Trump's strategy against narcoterrorism
The Republican president directly linked these operations to the pursuit of criminal networks connected to Chavismo. In messages shared on social media, Trump accused Nicolás Maduro's regime of leading the so-called "Cartel of the Suns" and confirmed attacks against vessels loaded with drugs in international waters.
EEUU difundió imágenes del despliegue militar en el Caribe contra el narcoterrorismo
"Warning: if you transport drugs that can kill Americans, we're hunting you," the president warned, emphasizing that the offensive aims to stop what he defined as "devastating consequences for American communities."
Interceptions and sinking of vessels
The Southern Command reported the sinking of several vessels loaded with narcotics in the Caribbean. One of the latest operations, under Trump's direct orders, resulted in the death of three alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers.
At the beginning of September, another military action ended with the downing of a boat linked to the criminal group Tren de Aragua, with eleven fatalities. These actions are part of an intensified campaign in recent weeks off the coast of Venezuela.
EEUU difundió imágenes del despliegue militar en el Caribe contra el narcoterrorismo
Risk of regional tension
Although the Southern Command keeps that the deployment seeks "to support regional security and cooperation with partner countries," the release of the video and Trump's rhetoric increase frictions with Caracas. Venezuela rejects the drug trafficking accusations and denounces a military escalation against it.
According to analysts, the operation also serves a deterrent role toward criminal organizations and governments identified by Washington, although it raises questions about the legal and diplomatic limits of these actions.
