U.S.-Venezuela Diplomatic Tensions Escalate Over Narcotics Influx
"Trump Ready to Mobilize All U.S. Power to Block Drug Flow"
As diplomatic tensions rise between the United States and Venezuela over the influx of narcotics, a U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser has entered the Panama Canal and is heading toward the Caribbean Sea.
According to AFP on August 29 (local time), the U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie was seen passing through one of the locks of the Panama Canal, sailing east toward the Caribbean Sea. The Lake Erie had been docked at Rodman Port near the Panama Canal for the past two days.
Previously, major foreign media outlets such as The Washington Post reported that the Donald Trump administration had decided to dispatch a total of eight U.S. naval vessels, including three Aegis destroyers confirmed for deployment to the Caribbean, in response to the threat posed by Venezuelan drug cartels.
In addition to the three Aegis destroyers, other vessels scheduled for deployment to the Caribbean include the USS Lake Erie, the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, and the littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
It is rare for the United States to deploy such a large number of naval assets to the waters near Central and South America.
The U.S. Department of State has designated drug cartels, including the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua, as "foreign terrorist organizations" due to national security threats. On August 7, it doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to 50 million dollars (approximately 69.2 billion won), further pressuring the Venezuelan government.
After news broke that the United States would deploy three Aegis destroyers to the Caribbean, President Maduro responded firmly, stating he would not yield to President Trump's threats. He mobilized militias and deployed Venezuelan naval vessels forward in a show of force.
The United States has also made it clear that it will not back down in the face of Venezuela's resolute stance and is prepared for potential military conflict. On August 28, White House spokesperson Caroline Rabbit warned of the possibility that the deployment of U.S. naval assets to the Caribbean could develop into a military operation, stating, "Trump is ready to mobilize all of America's power to prevent the inflow of narcotics."
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