Deadly airstrikes and a military buildup: how the US pressure campaign against Venezuela has unfolded in the Caribbean

"Amid growing tensions between Washington and Caracas, the US has gathered its largest military presence in the Caribbean since the 1989 invasion of Panama. Donald Trump's administration has steadily increased pressure on Venezuela's leader, Nicolas Maduro, accusing him of running the Cartel of the Suns drug-trafficking organization, and placing a $50m bounty on his head. The US leader has been opaque about his intentions and Trump says he is keeping all options on the table from a military intervention to a negotiated exit for Maduro."

"US officials in Washington DC have briefed that a new phase in the operation was about to begin, and on Saturday several international airlines cancelled flights to and from Venezuela after the US Federal Aviation Administration urged civilian aircraft to exercise caution due to the worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around the country. On Monday, the US state department's designation of the Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organisation is set to take effect."

"Experts say such a group does not exist as a cartel in the traditional sense; instead, the term is used as a catch-all for the way Maduro has allowed criminal networks to operate in order to stay in power. Still, some believe that classifying Maduro's regime as a terrorist organisation could provide a degree of legal cover for a US attack."

Washington has assembled its largest military presence in the Caribbean since the 1989 Panama invasion amid escalating tensions with Caracas. The US administration has increased pressure on President Nicolas Maduro, accusing him of links to the Cartel de los Soles and offering a $50m bounty. US officials warned a new operational phase may begin, prompting international airlines to cancel flights after the FAA urged caution. The US State Department's terrorist designation for the Cartel de los Soles is set to take effect. Venezuelan military rejected the allegations as a lie. US maritime strikes allegedly targeting drug shipments have killed scores of people. Analysts characterize the cartel label as a catch-all for criminal networks Maduro allegedly tolerates and warn a terrorist designation could be used to justify intervention.

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