CARACAS: Venezuela has conducted military exercises in coastal regions following the United States deployment of naval vessels near its shores.
The exercises occurred on Saturday in the northwestern state of Falcon and the northeastern state of Sucre, coinciding with government-ordered natural disaster preparedness drills.
Washington deployed military ships to the Caribbean citing drug trafficking interdiction efforts, targeting several boats allegedly carrying narcotics from Venezuela.
These US operations have resulted in fourteen fatalities according to official reports.
Caracas has condemned the American naval presence as a “military threat” to national sovereignty.
State broadcaster VTV showed footage of Venezuela’s National Bolivarian Armed Forces moving military hardware near Cape San Roman.
This coastal city lies approximately 27 kilometres south of the island of Aruba.
The drills featured cannons firing into the sea and amphibious vehicles landing onshore from naval transport.
Military trucks transported Russian-made Pechora anti-aircraft missile systems to strategic coastal positions.
Another exercise involved the simulated occupation of Patos Island, an uninhabited territory near Trinidad and Tobago.
This operation included helicopter deployments and paratrooper insertions by the Venezuelan armed forces.
General Domingo Hernandez Larez announced a separate anti-narcotics operation in Sucre involving over 5,200 personnel.
This security sweep resulted in thirty arrests and the seizure of ten vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking.
Saturday’s nationwide activities also included emergency response drills beginning with an earthquake simulation.
These disaster preparedness exercises follow two significant tremors exceeding magnitude 6.0 that struck Venezuela earlier in the week. – AFP
