The Trump administration has intensified its pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, recently doubling the bounty on him to $50 million over drug trafficking charges. As part of this effort, US President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of three warships off Venezuela’s coast to curb narcotics smuggling, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The warships, identified as Aegis-class guided missile destroyers, are en route to the region, the source told AFP under anonymity. Reports in US media also suggest that Washington may dispatch around 4,000 Marines to bolster its presence.
The US government, which does not acknowledge Maduro’s recent election victories, accuses him of heading the “Cartel de los Soles,” a major cocaine trafficking network. Last month, the Treasury Department designated the group as a terrorist organization, claiming its links to the Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa cartels, both of which were recently branded foreign terrorist groups.
On Tuesday, the White House reiterated Trump’s stance that he would utilize “every element” of American power to combat drug trafficking. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that Trump remains firm on preventing narcotics from entering the US and ensuring those responsible face justice. She further labeled the Venezuelan government a “narco-terror cartel,” asserting that Maduro is not recognized as a legitimate leader but rather a fugitive indicted in the US for trafficking.
In response, Maduro announced on Monday that Venezuela would mobilize 4.5 million militia members to counter what he described as US “threats.”
