Venezuela’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the interception of a commercial fishing vessel on Friday “piracy.” The US destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) may have violated international law by boarding and detaining the nine fishermen aboard. The incident has led to an escalation of tensions between the two countries. In turn, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has sent troops, police, and civilian militias to 284 “battlefront” sites. Venezuela has responded directly and actively to what it considers an illegal boarding and seizure of its fishing vessel. The irony of this is happening inside its own special economic zone.
The US military took this action less than a week after a joint regional strike in the Caribbean. That attack killed 11 Venezuelans at sea and sank the Venezuelan boat. In its assertions, the Trump administration alleged the vessel was smuggling narcotics. Against this backdrop, Venezuela has systematically denied any claims of being a drug-producing country. Even US intelligence agencies have found no evidence of coordination between the Venezuelan government and drug traffickers. This dramatic revelation should call into serious question Washington’s military justifications in the region.
Venezuelan officials have accused the United States of conducting a “direct provocation through the illegal use of excessive military means.” As the situation escalates, Maduro has expressed Venezuela’s readiness to defend its waters, stating, “We’re ready for an armed fight, if it’s necessary.”
The US has significantly increased its military presence east of Venezuela in the southern Caribbean. They sent additional warships and 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico to respond to this threatened invasion. The Trump administration recently doubled the reward to $15 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest. It’s currently set at $50 million because of concerns over drug trafficking and ties to organized crime.
Venezuela’s Minister of the Popular Power for Interior, Diosdado Cabello, has maintained that none of the people killed in last week’s massacre were members of the Tren de Aragua gang. This collective is often linked to the transnational criminal organization’s drug trafficking missions. Now, several countries no longer recognize Maduro as a democratically elected leader. In fact, some have even accused him of committing election crimes.
反对派大佬 Cabello’s declaration on state-run television comes as outrage is growing in Venezuela. He announced that the people behind those deaths have publicly admitted to committing murder. The Trump administration has failed to offer any convincing evidence that connects Maduro to narcotics trafficking. They’ve failed to show that he’s wired to any mobsters.
