In early this month, The Trump administration doubled the reward it offers for the capture of Maduro up to 50 million dollars. Accuses him of linking to the drug trafficking. Besides, In June, the Venezuelan designated as a terrorist organization Los Soles Cartelsupposedly made up of the military dome of Venezuelaby own Ripe and by other senior regime officials, something that is rejected by Chavismo.
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According to the news chain CNN, The military deployment of the United States is part of an initiative to combat Latin American drug cartels designated as global terrorist organizations.
Donald Trump’s government offers 50 million dollars for the capture of Nicolás Maduro. (Kamil Krzaczynski and Federico Parra / AFP).
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The United States offers 50 million dollars for the capture of Nicolás Maduro. (State Department).
Apart from Los Soles CartelThe United States designated Mexicans as terrorists Sinaloa cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Northeast Cartel (CDN, previously Los Zetas), The new Michoacan family, Gulf Cartel (CDG) and United Cartels Also to the Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 and the Venezuelan Train of Aragua.
The designation places these criminal organizations at the same legal level as terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS). This opens the door to the use of the military force in direct operations, enables the judicial persecution of any person or entity that collaborates with them, authorizes immediate financial sanctions and the freezing of assets in any allied country, in addition to facilitating the extradition of its members.
In practice, the designation converts the fight against cartels into a War against terrorismexpanding Washington’s ability to act outside its territory and press Latin American governments to collaborate, under threat of sanctions or intervention, as happens in Nations of Asia such as Syria or Iraq.
CNN explained that the United States is deploying near Venezuela to the Naval Force IWO JIMA AMPHIBIOUS READY GROUP (ARG) and 22. Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) as part of a broader repositioning of military assets in the area of responsibility of the Southern Command.
The Naval Force Iwo Jima Amphibium Ready Group (ARG).
The 22. Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
As part of the mission, An submarine of nuclear propulsion attack, P8 pose recognition aircraft are being assigned to the South Commandseveral destroyers and a guided launch cruise, officials reported to CNN.
One of the officials who declared CNN said that, For now, it is a demonstration of force destined more to send a message than to indicate an intention to carry out precise attacks against the cartels. However, it also offers US military controls – and the president – a wide range of options in case Trump Ordene a military action, he added.
CNN indicated that in the past the units deployed played a fundamental role in supporting large -scale evacuation operations. For example, one was parked for months in the Eastern Mediterranean, amid tensions between Israel, Hamas and Iran.
The destroyer of guided missiles USS Serly (DDG 107) of the American Navy, Arleight Burke class, sailing in the Red Sea on June 7, 2024. (AFP).
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Destroyers on the coast of Venezuela
For its part, the Reuters agency reported that destroyers USS Serly, USS Jasson Dunham and Uss Sampson They will be bet near the coast of Venezuela. These They carry the aegis combat systemwhich include Guided missiles.
Combat systems Aegis with guided missiles They make the United States destroyers and cruises into a naval war platforms capable of acting as antimile shields And also like Strategic offensive pitchers.
The system includes missiles SM-2, for air defense against aircraft and cruise missiles; SM-3, designed to intercept medium and long -range ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere; SM-6versatile, with anti -aircraft, anti -manploo and defense against ballistic missiles and Tomahawk cruise missile, for precision attacks against land objectives at more than 1,500 km.
The United States Aegis combat system.
A government official of USA He told Reuters that the plan is that the units deployed operate in international airspace and international waters.
He added that naval assets can be used not only to carry out intelligence and surveillance operations, but also as Release platform for selective attacks if a decision is made.
White House spokeswoman, Karoline Leavittsaid Tuesday that The United States is prepared to “use all your power” To stop the “drug flow to your country”, after being asked about the deployment of three ships with 4,000 soldiers in the Caribbean waters near Venezuela.
Maduro gets the militias
Nicolás Maduro greets during the celebrations for Venezuela’s independence day on July 5, 2025. (Photo: Juan Barreto / AFP).
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In VenezuelaMaduro said Monday that this week he will activate “a special plan to guarantee coverage with more than 4.5 million militiamen throughout the national territory. He indicated that this is part of a“ peace plan ”, so that He called on militias to be “prepared, activated and armed.”
The Bolivarian militias They are forces created and armed by the Chavista government to complement the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB).
A member of the Bolivarian militia participates in a demonstration to commemorate the anniversary of death in 1830 of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, in Caracas on December 17, 2024. (Photo by Federico Parra / AFP).
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Are formed mainly by Civil Sympathizers of the rulingterritorially organized and basically trained in the use of weapons. His declared role is Defend the “Bolivarian Revolution” Faced with external and internal threats, guarantee security in communities and support the government in crisis situations. However, critics point out that They act as political and social control groupswith complaints of participation in repression of protests.
Maduro fears finishing like Noriega
The destroyer of guided missiles USS Sampson navigates near the Colombian coast in the Pacific Ocean on June 29, 2024. (Photo by Joaquin Sarmiento / AFP).
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The specialist in defense and intelligence issues Andrés Gómez de la Torre He said to Commerce that the deployment frames within an American strategy that is closely linked first with the designation of the Los Soles Cartel and of Aragua train as terrorist organizations, and second with the elevation of the amount of the reward it offers by the head of Nicolás Maduro.
“The American strategy has been to combine several methods. Initially in 2019 a private company called Silvercorp led the Gideon operation using private military contractors. It was hired by Venezuelan OPSITION and the goal was to kill Maduro. Now is the designation of cartels as terrorist organizations, to mobilize the military apparatus. It is a more interventionist vision than linked to the option of diplomacy, which is already ruled out ”, He stressed.
Gómez de la Torre considered that it is deterrent movements that have generated a strong impact on Maduro, “Whose main concern is to end as the Panamanian dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega Like a maximum corollary. Fear An intervention in Venezuela similar to the operation fair cause in Panama in 1989 ″.
“Maduro is nervous, he shows tense, he can perceive that he could become a Manuel Antonio Noriega Dos, captured by the United States, not eliminated, and end up spending his days in an American prison,” Indian.
But Venezuela has strong alliesmilitary powers such as Russia, China and Iran. And in the region to Cuba. Could these do something in Maduro defense?
“If Russia and China did not play thoroughly for Iran in the crisis with Israel, they will do so for Venezuela. Cuba is in a very strong internal weakness situation due to economic and social deficiencies, there may be an eventual support for its intelligence services “Gómez de la Torre emphasized.
Regarding the military capacity of Venezuela To defend against an eventual invasion, Gómez de la Torre said that American power will sweep any attempt to defense.
The analyst said that all these military operations in the United States are out of international law. “But We are currently in a world where international law is relativized and the use of force. That’s why Panama happened. ”
