Understanding the U.S. Military Mobilization in the Caribbean

"Skeptics suggest that regime change in Venezuela is part of the administration's plan? Is it? Early in 2025, shortly after taking office, the Trump administration designated several drug cartels as terrorist organizations. This signaled the administration's intention to escalate U.S. efforts to fight trafficking beyond the usual efforts of the Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration and Border Patrol. It also presaged the use of the military."

"Implicitly, the decision to escalate U.S. efforts is based on several key points. First, drug abuse in the United States remains at epidemic levels despite decades of efforts to control it. Second, previous efforts to suppress drug smuggling into the U.S. have not been successful. Third, because the cartels smuggling drugs into the U.S. are not merely drug traffickers but large terrorist organizations, they need to be confronted as forcefully as terrorist groups elsewhere. This, effectively, means employing military force."

"The administration contends that Venezuela is the country from which much of the illicit boat and air traffic carrying cocaine emanates and that Venezuela's long-time strong man is really the head of a cartel and "a fugitive from American justice." On August 7, the administration announced a 50-million-dollar bounty on Venezuela's long-time strong man, Nicolas Maduro. It is this view of the Venezuelan regime and its leader, in combination with the size and capabilities of the deployed U.S. military"

The United States has deployed a more formidable military presence in the Caribbean than seen in decades to combat drug trafficking. The administration designated several drug cartels as terrorist organizations early in 2025 and expanded efforts beyond the Coast Guard, DEA, and Border Patrol, signaling readiness to use military force. Rationale includes persistent U.S. drug abuse, unsuccessful prior suppression attempts, and treating cartels as terrorist groups. The administration identifies Venezuela as a primary source of illicit boat and air cocaine traffic and characterizes Nicolas Maduro as a cartel leader and "a fugitive from American justice," offering a $50 million bounty.

Read at The Cipher Brief