US Naval Escalation in Caribbean Sparks Venezuela’s Condemnation
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Tensions between the US and Venezuela have sharply escalated following Washington’s deployment of a large naval force in the Southern Caribbean, a move widely denounced in Caracas as a prelude to military aggression.
The Trump administration claims the buildup is aimed at combating drug cartels and curbing migration. Yet the scale of the operation—far larger than routine patrols—has drawn accusations that Washington is exploiting narcotics as a pretext for intervention against a sovereign nation.
According to a US official, seven warships and a nuclear-powered submarine are either already deployed or expected to arrive in the coming days, Reuters reported.
The fleet includes the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort Lauderdale, carrying around 4,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines.
The Pentagon has not disclosed details of the mission, but US spy planes have also been conducting surveillance flights in the region.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned the escalation, saying Washington seeks to impose “gunboat diplomacy” reminiscent of colonial times.
“Our diplomacy isn’t the diplomacy of cannons, of threats, because the world cannot be the world of 100 years ago,” Maduro said.
His government has mobilized 15,000 troops to the Colombian border and called on civil defense groups to expand training.
At the United Nations, Venezuela’s envoy Samuel Moncada warned that the naval deployment represents “a massive propaganda operation to justify kinetic action—meaning military intervention—against a sovereign and independent country that is no threat to anyone.”
Venezuela has lodged a formal complaint with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, accusing Washington of violating the UN Charter.
Despite growing international unease, the White House insists the buildup enjoys regional support.
“Many Caribbean nations and many nations in the region have applauded the administration’s counter-drug operations and efforts,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Washington recently labeled Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, and other groups as terrorist organizations.
But Caracas maintains that the US is waging an “economic war” and plotting regime change under the guise of fighting narcotics.
