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The U.S. military has sent destroyers and thousands of Marines toward Venezuela as President Donald Trump doubles down on deadly drug cartels, according to reports.
At least three Aegis guided-missile destroyers — USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham among them — are part of the mission, two U.S. officials anonymously told the Associated Press Tuesday.
Another official told Reuters the deployment, which could arrive soon, involves around 4,000 Marines and soldiers “over the course of several months,” backed by spy planes, warships and a submarine so that international waters and skies are covered.
Tuesday’s massive operation marks a dramatic escalation in Trump’s push to block fentanyl and drug pipelines fueling America’s overdose crisis.
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Destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) returns to Naval Station Norfolk, July 14, 2024. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anderson W. Branch)
It also comes as the administration called Venezuela’s regime a “narco-terror cartel” and demanded that President Nicolás Maduro be held accountable.
When asked about this latest military vessel dispatch, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday the president “has been very clear and consistent” about using “every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”
During a White House press briefing, she added: “The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela. It is a narco-terror cartel. Maduro is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into the country.”
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Attorney General Pam Bondi announced last week a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Attorney General Pam Bondi last week also announced a historic $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest — more than triple the $15 million offer first unveiled in 2020.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department says it has already seized more than $700 million in assets tied to the embattled dictator, including two private jets and nine luxury vehicles.
Maduro, indicted in New York in 2020 on narco-terrorism and cocaine importation conspiracy charges, has clung to power with military backing and allegedly with support from Russia, China and Cuba.
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President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro looks forward during the ‘Gran Marcha Mundial por la Paz’ on August 17, 2024 in Caracas, Venezuela. (Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images)
In a televised address Monday, he vowed Venezuela would “defend our seas, our skies and our lands,” deriding U.S. pressure as “the outlandish, bizarre threat of a declining empire.”
The Pentagon has previously deployed two warships to the region to deter drug trafficking and secure the border.
Immigration enforcement has also been strengthened against alleged gang members like Tren de Aragua, MS-13 in El Salvador and six groups in Mexico.
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In February, Trump designated these as foreign terrorist organizations and imposed sweeping sanctions on Maduro, labeling him a dictator.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has also been urged by Trump to cooperate further on security and clamp down on cartels. So far, Sheinbaum has rejected suggestions of military intervention.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.