Three United States Marine Destroyers equipped with him Aegis system They will arrive in front of the Coasts of Venezuela as part of a military operation against organizations linked to drug trafficking in Latin America. This was confirmed on Monday official sources, who detailed that the arrival will occur in the next 36 hours.
The identified ships are the USS Serlyhe USS Jason Dunham and the USS Sampsonall destroyers guided by missiles belonging to the class Arleight Burkedesigned for anti -aircraft defense, anti -submarine and attack on surface objectives.
According to an American official cited by Reuters, the deployment is part of a large -scale operation that includes around 4,000 Marines in it Caribbean. In addition to the three destroyers, the plan contemplates the use of P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraftseveral additional ships and at least one Attack of attack.
“The process will be continuous for several months,” said the source based on anonymity. He also said that the operations will be carried out in international waters and international airspaceAlthough he stressed that the powerful power will allow not only surveillance tasks, but also to serve “as a platform for selective attacks if the decision is made”
The US strategy
The increase in military presence responds to the policy of the then president Donald Trumpwhich promoted the use of military resources against drug cartels cataloged as International terrorist organizations.
In February, the US government included in that category Sinaloa posterto the Aragua train of Venezuelan origin and the Los Soles posterthe latter indicated by his links with the dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Trump also related this strategy to the need to reduce irregular migration and reinforce the South border security of the United States. In previous months, his administration had already deployed two warships and reinforced air surveillance on Mexicowith the aim of tracking routes and posters operations.
Venezuela’s reaction
From Caracasthe answer soon arrived. In a transmission on state television, Nicolás Maduro He avoided referring directly to the arrival of the destroyers, but warned: “Venezuela will defend our seas, our skies and our lands”
The Venezuelan president described the operation as part of “The extravagant, bizarre and quirky threat of an empire in decline”
He also announced the deployment of 4.5 million military throughout the national territory: “This week I will activate a special plan to guarantee coverage with more than 4.5 million militiamen from all over the national territory, militias prepared, activated and armed”, Said when ordering new tasks to the civil forces created by Chavismo.
Background and context
He MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION OF VENEZUELA He did not offer additional statements about the movement of American ships. However, Maduro’s announcement coincided with Washington’s decision to duplicate U $ S 50 million The reward for information that allows your capture in investigations related to drug trafficking.
The presence of American warships near Venezuela is not unprecedented, although the current magnitude of the deployment – which combines destroyers with state -of -the -art systems, surveillance planes and a submarine – reflects an unusual level of military preparation.
With this operation, USA seeks to strengthen your strategy against posters in the region, while Venezuela responds with a speech of resistance and military mobilization, insisting that it is a direct threat against its sovereignty.
Source: Ambito
