"The US has ramped up its military presence in the Caribbean in recent weeks amid what the Trump administration is calling "an armed conflict" with drug cartels and growing escalations with Venezuela's military. US warships and aircraft have been sent to international waters near Venezuela as part of the deployment, the most significant in the region in recent history."
"The administration has not provided evidence to lawmakers that the boats were carrying drugs, and lawmakers and Venezuelan officials have questioned the attacks' legal justification. In September, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro - who faces charges of narcoterrorism in the US, which he has denied - called the US military buildup "an extravagant, immoral, and bloody threat." The country has also begun mobilizing troops and enlisting militia members."
"On Wednesday, Republican senators blocked a resolution that would have required the president to seek congressional approval for future strikes in the region. "Every American should be alarmed that their president has decided he can wage secret wars against anyone he calls an enemy," said Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, an Army veteran who retired as a major, and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Associated Press reported."
The United States has deployed warships and aircraft to international waters near Venezuela as part of an expanded military presence in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. The administration characterizes the situation as an armed conflict with drug cartels and cites deadly strikes on vessels alleged to be trafficking drugs to the US. No evidence has been provided to lawmakers to substantiate those claims, and legal justification for the strikes has been questioned. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the buildup and mobilized troops and militias. Congressional debate followed, with Republican senators blocking a measure requiring approval for future strikes.
Read at Business Insider
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