Venezuela mobilizes troops as US warships move into Caribbean
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Venezuela has deployed military troops and begun collecting weapons and equipment in response to the Trump administration’s mobilization of US warships in the Caribbean.
This buildup, which the government calls a “prolonged insurgency”, involves small military units carrying out acts of sabotage and other guerrilla tactics at more than 280 locations, according to sources familiar with the tactic and several years of planning documents seen by Reuters.
“We do not discuss intelligence matters,” a War Department official told Fox News.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused the Trump administration of trying to remove him from power. He promised that Venezuelan citizens would defend the South American nation against American aggression.
US NAVY CORRESPONDENT COMES TO TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO AS TRUMP TURNS THE SCREW ON VENEZUELA
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has moved into the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility as President Donald Trump steps up his war on drugs. In response, Venezuela is mobilizing its military forces. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Alyssa Joy/Navy)
Meanwhile, the administration has ordered a series of deadly strikes targeting suspected drug ships in the Caribbean in an effort to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. President Donald Trump said “land will be next,” citing the possibility of ground operations in Venezuela.
The US Navy on Tuesday said the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group has moved into the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility as part of the American presence to support growing naval forces in the region.
“The increased U.S. force presence in the USSOUTHCOM AOR will strengthen the United States’ capacity to detect, monitor and disrupt illicit actors and activities that endanger the security and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere,” said Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Sean Parnell. “These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt drug trafficking and weaken and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations.”
US MILITARY STRUCTURE IN THE CARIBBEAN BOMBS, MARINES AND WARSHIPS CONVERGENCE NEAR VENEZUELA
The Trump administration ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford to U.S. Southern Command, prompting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to accuse Trump of “fabricating a new endless war.” (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images; Getty Images)
Besides significant resource disparities between the U.S. and Venezuelan militaries, some Venezuelan troop commanders have even had to negotiate with local food producers to feed their troops due to inadequate government supplies, Reuters reported.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami and Cilia Flores participate in a military exercise at the Fuerte Tiuna military base in Caracas on February 24, 2018. (Reuters)
Part of Venezuela’s defense strategy includes a guerrilla-style response, according to reports.
“We cannot last two hours in a conventional war,” a source close to the government told the news outlet.
While the Russian foreign ministry announced last week that it was ready to respond to Venezuela’s requests for assistance, it called against escalation of tension.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
