U.S. Announces Land-Based Crackdown on Venezuelan Drug Trafficking
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that the U.S. will "very soon" initiate land-based operations to combat suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers. Speaking virtually to U.S. military service members, Trump emphasized, "You probably noticed that people aren't wanting to be delivering by sea, and we'll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that's going to start very soon."
Military Build-Up in the Caribbean
Recent weeks have seen heightened U.S. military activity in the Caribbean amid escalating tensions with Venezuela. On November 26, the U.S. Southern Command Air Force confirmed B-52H strategic bombers conducted tactical exercises in international waters near Venezuela’s coastline. This follows the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to the Caribbean on November 4 and a reported B-1B bomber flight near Venezuelan airspace in late October, which Trump later denied.
Analysts suggest these maneuvers signal a broader strategy to pressure Venezuela’s government, though officials have not explicitly linked the exercises to anti-drug operations. The developments come as regional security remains a focal point for U.S. foreign policy in 2025.
