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By Brendan Cole and John Feng
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The U.S. Navy's presence in the Caribbean has been beefed up as tensions spike between Venezuela and President Donald Trump's administration, Newsweek analysis of satellite pictures shows.
Late last month, the U.S. had started moving warships and troops into waters near the country's border to combat drug trafficking networks operating in the region.
On Tuesday, tensions escalated when Trump announced a U.S. marine strike on a vessel had killed 11 people linked to the Tren de Aragua gang allegedly transporting narcotics from Venezuela to the U.S.
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Further U.S. naval assets have been deployed to the region, and a Newsweek map illustrates the increasing U.S. presence which has prompted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro's vows to fight, if U.S. forces attack his country.
Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon for comment.
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Why It Matters
Trump issued an executive order in January that designated Latin American cartels—including Tren de Aragua and Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations.
The Trump administration has portrayed the naval buildup in the Caribbean as a direct offensive against "narco-terrorist" organizations that transport fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S.
But Maduro, who Trump has accused of controlling Tren de Aragua, has condemned the deployment as a regime change plot and has called up troops along the coast and borders in response, amid growing concerns about tensions spilling over in the region.
What To Know
The U.S. has deployed at least eight warships and one submarine to the eastern Caribbean.
Using satellite imagery, Newsweek's map shows USS Sampson, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in Panama. Also present are two Aegis guided-missile destroyers in the Caribbean—USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham and USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, a Freedom-class littoral combat ship.
Satellite pictures on Wednesday have confirmed the presence of USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale south of Puerto Rico.
Another vessel, the submarine USS Newport News is also in the region although its precise location is unknown. Meanwhile, in the air, P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft and C-17 military transport have been confirmed.
It comes as Maduro said Wednesday his country had "unwavering faith in victory" in the face of a U.S. "onslaught" having said earlier if Venezuela were attacked, he would order an armed struggle in defense of the country.
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Experts say a U.S. invasion is unlikely but Trump's increased pressure on Maduro, whom the U.S. and most democratic countries do not recognize as Venezuela's legitimate leader following disputed elections last year, has raised questions.
Jimmy Story, a former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela during Trump's first term, told The New York Times that the military might used to take out alleged drug trafficking boats was like "using a blowtorch to cook an egg."
Sanctions expert Brett Erickson told Newsweek that Trump introducing a strike option blurs the line between law enforcement and military engagement, "raising questions about escalation, proportionality, and long-term consequences."
What People Are Saying
Col. Chris Devine, a spokesman for the Defense Department, told Fox News: "Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Sampson (DDG 102) and embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment teams are currently operating in the region."
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday in response to the buildup: "This land belongs to Venezuelans, and there will be no traitor or empire that can touch and desecrate the sacred ground that the liberators bequeathed to us,"
What Happens Next
Experts say a full-scale invasion of Venezuela is unlikely given international law constraints and the absence of a formal congressional declaration of war but the increased U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean will send a message to the region to tackle cartels and add to pressure on Maduro.
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