Illustrative image. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Logan Goins)
Close advisers to United States President Donald Trump are not entirely sure whether the naval deployment near Venezuela is a drug trafficking operation with undertones of regime change, or a Caracas coup operation masquerading as drug enforcement, Axios reported on August 29.
The U.S. dispatched a large naval force capable of launching long-range strikes and conducting amphibious operations to Latin America and the Caribbean on a supposed counter-cartel mission earlier this month after doubling the reward for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million on drug trafficking charges.
The force includes seven warships, along with a nuclear attack submarine. More than 4,500 US service members, including some 2,200 Marines, are reported to be aboard the ships.
“This is 105% about narco-terrorism, but if Maduro winds up no longer in power, no one will be crying,” one Trump administration official familiar with the policy discussions told Axios.
Not everyone shared this view, however. Another official told the U.S. news website that what is unfolding “could be Noriega part 2,” referring to the U.S. military’s 1989 operation to capture Panamanian President Manuel Noriega, who also faced drug trafficking charges.
“The president has asked for a menu of options. And ultimately, this is the president’s decision about what to do next, but Maduro should be s***ting bricks,” the official was quoted as saying.
Voicing his support for a regime-change, a third Trump adviser told Axios: “Leaving Maduro in power in Venezuela is like making Jeffrey Epstein the head of a daycare.”
Axios’ report is not surprising. The U.S. did not recognize Maduro’s past two election victories and Trump in particular has been very vocal about his dissatisfaction with Maduro. During his term, he floated the idea of a military intervention in Venezuela.
Venezuela has been taking the escalation by the U.S. very seriously. The Venezuelan military has already announced a “significant” drone deployment as well as naval patrols along the country’s Caribbean coast. The Bolivarian Militia of Venezuela has been also mobilizing.
“What they’re threatening to do against Venezuela — regime change, a military terrorist attack — is immoral, criminal and illegal,” Maduro said on August 29, before he called on citizens to join a militia to fight off an anticipated U.S. invasion.
At the same time, Venezuela has been ramping up efforts against drug trafficking. Recently, the country deployed 15,000 troops to the Zulia and Tachira states, which border Colombia, to bolster security and crackdown on the illicit trade.
The threat of a U.S.-backed coup in Venezuela is credible, as evident by Axios’ report. While the Trump administration stands to gain so much from a regime change in the oil-rich country, a botched coup could push Washington to a conflict that won’t be resolved with just 4,500 service members.
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this is all about the oil, venezuela has it and ed koch wants it – but he doesn’t want to pay for it so he is getting his buddy donald to send americans to die to get it. and the venezuelan troops on the colombian border are there to stop the colombians from helping the yanks with the coup – that’s why the yanks have been training the colombians in ukraine.
google pays $300 on a regular basis. my latest salary check was $8600 for working 10 hours a week on the internet. z33. my younger sibling has been averaging $19k .he constantly works approximately 24 hours. i’m not sure how simple it was cde once i checked it
out…… https://bring2uphere1.blogspot.com/
maduro’s future is bleak. he will either end up dead or in a jail cell next to el.chapo in the adx florence, supermax prison, which is also known as life after death.
lf he were smart he would go to the russian or chinese embassies and give orders that none of venezuela’s oil facilities should fall in enemies hands like the soviet union did to the oil fields at maikop when natzie germany was advancing on the caucasus.
4600 us soldiers have no chance in this. the venezuelan militia has 4.2 million available for never ending gorilla warfare. clearly the planners of this in the us have no common scene as to the self destructive trap they race. words like foolish, stupidity and insanity apply completely. if they ever attempt or wish to trade need oil they may see the door slammed in their face. venezuela can establish other markets
emotional military outbursts by rouge elements in the us are shunned by the world. one might ask what is this foolishness ? the us absolutely needs venezuela as an long term ally. go punch your co workers in face and see if it fun to go to work again.
go for it, donny! you can do it! it’ll be a cakewalk! (just like iraq!) all that lovely oil! all the beaners will really welcome another gringo invasion! you could get a nobel prize! is gweedo available? he could ride in on a marines tank and be the next president!
the wealthiest people on earth don’t have enough: they want that oil. money a poor substitute for god. hades awaits those who are fools who worship their false deities. eternity is a long time to suffer. you have no idea how much satan is going to enjoy laughing at your foolishness. still time to change but the clock is ticking. dajjal is the son of the father of lies. he awaits those who choose poorly. even john d. repented on his deathbed.
those us warships would make amazing test targets for the new russian sea boat drones.
they would also make great test targets for the new standoff and loitering fpv and ai drones.
i am sure iran and north korea could supply venezuela with weapons to test too.
it’s only fair that venezuela gets weapons to defend itself for as long as it takes.
google pays $300 on a regular basis. my latest salary check was $8600 for working 10 hours a week on the internet. my younger sibling has been averaging $19k .he constantly works approximately 24 hours. i’m not sure how simple it errt was once i checked it out…… https://born2up66.blogspot.com/
drugs are not even the issue. it’s what the trump dictatorship wants you to believe. the real plan is pilfering venezuela’s oil and other resources preceded by a majorly failed attempt to coup maduro. and, as predicted, the estados unidos military will scramble home embarrassed as hell. trump will be like the bully he is and repeat over and over and over, “i really don’t like that, i really don’t like that, i really don’t like that” until the “throne room” is empty.
yankee go home!
if chumpo is really worried about the drugs, why doesn’t he send a naval force to take out the (((sackler family)))?
now it’s like iran proved ready to defend it’s oilresources and we ran away.now we can’t sleep seeing the world biggest oil reserve in venezuela.we must look for the readily available false flag to have the oil . remember we had opposition leader who was recognised as president by the west.just the same playbook.
this is sad situation. i hope maduro makes it out unscathed. he has traitors, political opponents and enemies, spy rings & covert intelligence networks, criminals, provocateurs, saboteurs, terrorists & elites that are conspiring & plotting against him. trump wants his oil and natural resources.