U.S. Sends Warships Toward Venezuela Amid Escalating Tensions
The U.S. is sending some of its most powerful warships toward Venezuela as tensions rise with President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The Pentagon confirmed Friday that the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group will redeploy from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean in the coming days.
The day before, the Venezuelan dictator issued an emphatic plea for calm on state TV, repeating: “No crazy war. Just peace… Please.”
President Trump on the other hand told reporters Thursday that he would not seek a formal Congressional declaration of war to authorize strikes against Venezuelan drug cartels — and bluntly added, “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them.”
HOW WE GOT HERE
It’s part of Trump’s expanded anti-narcotics and anti-terror campaign — but it also reflects a broader effort to force Maduro from power. The Venezuelan leader, whom Washington accuses of being deeply involved in the drug trade, refused to step down after losing re-election last year and has overseen the effective collapse of the country.
President Trump appears to be pressuring Maduro to willingly step down or compel allies to force him into exile in the short-term ahead of a further military escalation or invasion. The U.S. has already carried out strikes on at least 10 vessels, killing dozens and labeling several on board “narco-terrorists” and “unlawful combatants.” Trump said Thursday he plans to expand strikes to land.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has called the cartels the ISIS and al-Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere.
The use of the military and potential attempt at regime change raises legal and diplomatic concerns. Critics warn that expanding U.S. strikes to targets inside Venezuela could violate international law and the U.S. Constitution, since Congress has not approved a war declaration and Venezuela’s territory remains sovereign.
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