US-Venezuela tensions have skyrocketted in recent weeks as US built up a large naval and air presence in the Caribbean Sea in what initially started as a force to conduct strikes on claimed drug traffickers.
However, the forces the US has in theater are far beyond what would be required for simple strikes on unarmed boats the size of a fishing vessel, and this has led to speculation that the United States is preparing for something bigger such as strikes on Venezuela.
In recent days, the United States has also ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group from its deployment in the Mediterranean to the Carribean region.
So far, the following US Navy vessels are deployed:
- USS Iwo Jima
- USS San Antonio
- USS Stockdale
- USS Jason Dunham
- USS Gravely
- USS Lake Erie
- USS Wichita
- USS Gettysburg
- USS Newport News
- MV Ocean Trader special operations support ship
Ukraine
Hegseth:
Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, two lethal kinetic strikes were conducted on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations.
These vessels were known by our intelligence to be associated with illicit narcotics smuggling, were carrying narcotics, and were transiting along a known narco-trafficking transit route in the Eastern Pacific.
Both strikes were conducted in international waters and 3 male narco-terrorists were aboard each vessel. All 6 were killed. No U.S. forces were harmed.
Under President Trump, we are protecting the homeland and killing these cartel terrorists who wish to harm our country and its people.