"He has deployed a massive military arsenal in and around the Caribbean Sea and taken a series of provocative actions off the Venezuelan coast, justifying it as necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. The Council on Foreign Relations says that deployment includes an aircraft carrier, destroyers, cruisers, amphibious assault ships, and a special forces support ship."
"This is the largest display of American military might in the western hemisphere since we invaded Panama in 1989. The president has refused to rule out a ground invasion of Venezuela. But so far, the administration has used its military assets to target boats allegedly carrying drugs, sought to close Venezuelan airspace, and, on 10 December, seized an oil tanker."
"How the seizure of an oil tanker helps stem the flow of drugs into the US is not obvious. In fact, Pam Bondi, the attorney general, claimed the ship was involved in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. Beyond these explanations, it is unclear why Trump has targeted Venezuela in the ways he has. The president may want to punish the country's dictatorial president, Nicolas Maduro, for allowing hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans to migrate to this country."
A large U.S. naval and air deployment has concentrated in and around the Caribbean Sea with aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, amphibious ships, special forces support vessels, bombers, fighters, drones, patrol planes, and support aircraft. The deployment represents the largest U.S. military display in the western hemisphere since the 1989 Panama invasion, and the president has refused to rule out a ground invasion of Venezuela. Operations so far have focused on targeting boats allegedly carrying drugs, closing Venezuelan airspace, and seizing an oil tanker whose connection to drug interdiction is unclear. Claims link the tanker to an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. Motives offered include punishing Nicolas Maduro for migration and seeking control of Venezuela’s oil, while similar threats have been suggested toward Mexico and Colombia.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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