Venezuela Deploys 25,000 Troops Amid Rising U.S. Caribbean Military Pressure

Amid escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has deployed 25,000 troops to key border and coastal states, significantly increasing military presence to defend national sovereignty and counter what Caracas describes as US coercion disguised as anti-narcotics efforts. This troop surge follows the US military's deployment of eight warships, F-35 fighter jets, and thousands of personnel to the Caribbean, which the Trump administration justifies as a crackdown on drug trafficking but which Venezuela views as a provocative show of force. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López emphasized the strategic deployment across multiple states and border regions, including the Perijá mountains and Apure state rivers, to combat drug smuggling and illegal crop cultivation. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth underscored that US forces in the Caribbean are engaged in critical counter-narcotics missions, not merely training exercises, highlighting the seriousness of the operation. The situation is further complicated by recent lethal US airstrikes against alleged narco-terrorists linked to Venezuela and provocative encounters such as Venezuelan fighter jets flying near US naval vessels, leading President Trump to warn that Venezuelan aircraft threatening US forces will be shot down. These developments illustrate the growing mistrust and risk of direct confrontation in the Caribbean, with both sides reinforcing military deployments amid accusations of drug trafficking and sovereignty violations.