Venezuela announces massive military deployment to counter US naval operations in Caribbean, citing fears of regime change under drug interdiction pretext.
CARACAS: Venezuela announced a major nationwide military deployment on Tuesday to counter United States naval presence off its coast.
The deployment includes land, sea, air, river and missile forces along with civilian militia units.
Washington is conducting military operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific aimed at curbing drug trafficking.
Venezuelan authorities fear the ultimate US goal is the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.
US forces have struck at least 20 vessels in international waters since early September, killing 76 people according to US figures.
The United States has not released evidence that these vessels were smuggling drugs or posed threats.
State television VTV broadcast footage of military leaders giving speeches across multiple states.
Such high-profile government announcements are common in Venezuela but don’t always lead to visible deployments.
US President Donald Trump recently downplayed war prospects but said Maduro’s days were numbered.
The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has been ordered to Latin America as part of US counter-narcotics efforts.
F-35 stealth warplanes have been deployed to Puerto Rico with six US Navy ships currently in the Caribbean. – AFP
