Illustrative image. (U.S. Navy photo by Lithographer Seaman Apprentice Bryant Kurowski)
CNN on August 15 provided more details about the United States’ recent decision to deploy air and naval forces to Latin America and the Caribbean to address the threat posed by drug cartels.
The deployment was first reported by Reuters a day earlier. It came in as a part of the efforts the administration of President Donald Trump is making to counter drug trafficking into the U.S.
In a first step, the U.S. designated last February Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and other drug gangs as well as Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua as global terrorist organizations. A report from The New York Times released earlier this month alleged that Trump had secretly signed a directive to begin using military force against the groups.
Citing two U.S. defense officials, CNN said that the U.S. military was deploying more than 4,000 Marines and sailors on the counter-cartel mission.
The deployment will include sending Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to the U.S. Southern Command, according to the news network, which also revealed a wider allocation of assets to the command’s aerial of responsibility in recent weeks, including the deployment of a nuclear-powered attack submarine, additional P8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, several destroyers and a guided-missile cruiser.
A third person familiar with the matter told CNN that the additional assets are “aimed at addressing threats to U.S. national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region.”
One of the officials emphasized that the military buildup is for now mostly a show of force, but noted that it also gives Trump and his military commanders a broad range of options should they decide to actually take action against the cartels.
While the U.S. is closely coordinating with Mexico to counter drug cartels, it has a long running enmity with the government of Venezuela.
Earlier this month, the U.S. announced that it had doubled the reward for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from to $50 million.
The Trump administration has accused Maduro of being the world’s biggest drug trafficker and of working with cartels to smuggle fentanyl-laced cocaine. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said that the new reward was “pathetic” and labeled it “political propaganda”.
While the threat posed by the cartels is real, using military force could have serious consequences, especially in Mexico where it could cause a cross-border conflict.
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did donnie clear this with juan guiado, the legitimate president of venezuela?
very funny. the puppet in in miami. he is universally despised by all peoples in south america. an useless toy at best.
that sounds more like a pathetic empty threat to restore trump’s ego after he got owned and emasculated by putin in alaska. an empty threat just like john bolton’s 5,000 us troops to venezuela. yawn.
the neo con, zionist pirate cartel is failing internationally. but is still dangerous.
what exactly was “owning” in all this empty talk?…no one knows what those two did in alaska. they didn’t end the war, and i don’t see anything else that’s changed.
nothing changed. trumpy is still putin’s poodle. what happened to the 50 day ultimatum , then the 10 day ultimatum and all the talk about severe consequences for russia. basically putin still owns trumpy
china won’t like that. perhaps they’ll unleash another new virus on the world.
yes they have its name is the brics virus and many nations super spreaders
brics is a mild flu with a 100-year incubation period. besides, there’s already a cure: gold.
there are no cartels only americunt transgender drug addicts
as long as trump stays away from my vodka, i’m fine with it, burp…
venezuela armed its citizens after the last us attack during trump 1.0. to steal the largest oil reserves on the planet. the us has very recently offered a reward on the elected president maduro falsely claiming he is trafficking narcotics. i suspect the zionist neo con pirates are behind this. bank of england has also stolen venezuelan gold .
while the us also stole venezuelan oil assets. haiti also is receiving american mercs ( an illegal invasion ) to control the nations gold, iridium and natural gas wealth .
maduro got his own back by offering $50 million for the epstein trump tapes.
you don’t need nuclear submarines to target (((those responsible))) for the fentanyl epidemic that has killed half a million amerikunts. just round up the (((sacklers))) and (((their ilk))) and stick them in gitmo for life.