Fingers on the Trigger in the Caribbean: Maduro Confronts Trump’s Destroyers

Tensions are rising in the Caribbean following U.S. military maneuvers that Venezuela has described as a “terrorist attack,” vowing to resist any aggression.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned Washington’s decision to deploy three warships off the country’s coast as part of what the United States claims is an anti-drug trafficking operation. He insisted that the move was an “illegitimate attempt” to overthrow his government.

The Trump administration increased pressure on Maduro by doubling the reward offered for information leading to his capture on drug trafficking charges, raising the amount to 50 million dollars.

Earlier this week, a U.S. source confirmed to Agence France-Presse that three guided-missile destroyers were heading toward international waters off Venezuela.

American media also reported that a deployment of 4,000 Marines was being considered.

Addressing lawmakers, Maduro declared: “What they are threatening to do against Venezuela is regime change. It is a military terrorist attack, immoral and illegal.”

He added: “For Latin America and the Caribbean, this is a matter of peace and international law. Anyone who commits an act of aggression against one Latin American nation is attacking all of them.”

In 2020, during Trump’s first term, a U.S. federal court indicted Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials on multiple charges, including participation in a conspiracy of “terrorism and narcotics.”

The U.S. Department of Justice accused Maduro of leading the “Cartel of the Suns,” a cocaine trafficking network that allegedly shipped hundreds of tons of narcotics to the United States over two decades, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in profits.

Washington, for its part, continues to reject the legitimacy of Maduro’s most recent electoral victory.

This week, Maduro announced he would deploy 4.5 million armed personnel across Venezuela “in response to U.S. threats,” while urging citizens to take to the streets in protest against Washington.