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1h ago

Venezuela Sends Warships and Drones as U.S. Expands Caribbean Deployment

Washington calls the buildup a counter-narcotics mission linked to recent terror designations.

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FILE - Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez waves as he arrives to a press conference by President Nicolas Maduro at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
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Overview

  • A U.S. source told AFP that President Donald Trump is dispatching the cruiser USS Erie and the fast attack submarine USS Newport News to the Caribbean next week.
  • Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino announced extensive drone deployments and coastal naval patrols, and Caracas asked the United Nations to press for an end to the U.S. military buildup.
  • Three U.S. destroyers with roughly 4,000 sailors and Marines are moving toward Venezuelan waters under a stated effort to disrupt drug trafficking.
  • The U.S. has designated the Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist entity and raised the reward for Nicolás Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.
  • Maduro ordered 15,000 personnel to the border states of Zulia and Táchira and promoted militia recruitment, as France expands Caribbean counter-drug operations and China warns against external interference.