US Aircraft Carrier Arrives Off Venezuela; Maduro Warns Of 'Fabricated War'

The foreign policy actions of President Donald Trump presented a notable contradiction: he actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to broker a peace agreement resolving the long-standing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, even as his administration oversaw a significant and unusual military escalation with a substantial buildup of warships, fighter jets, and surveillance aircraft positioned off the Venezuelan coastline.

On Sunday, a US warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago, the island nation just off Venezuela’s coast. The USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer carrying US Marines, entered the region in what many see as a clear signal from the United States. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford is also moving closer to Venezuela.

The US already has a strong military footprint across the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, with warships, Marine units, drones, and fighter jets all active in the area. Tensions have escalated recently as the US ramps up military operations in the Caribbean to intercept drug shipments, a strategy that could also be seen as putting pressure on Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. Trump has claimed that Maduro leads a drug-smuggling network, a charge that the Venezuelan leader has consistently rejected.

So far, the US has launched ten air attacks on ships in the area, framing the operations as part of its fight against drug smuggling. Trump recently confirmed that he’s authorised secret CIA activities in Venezuela. He also hinted at possible military moves on the ground in Venezuela, saying earlier this week that with control at sea secured, the US was now considering action on land. However, President Trump dismissed suggestions that the situation signalled a formal war against Venezuela. He said his administration wouldn’t be seeking a declaration of war, adding that the focus was on targeting those involved in drug trafficking into the US. Military experts reportedly noted that the scale of the current U.S. deployment is far larger than what would normally be needed to stop drug trafficking at sea.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Maduro accused Washington of trying to invent a war narrative against his government. During his address on Friday night, Maduro accused Washington of breaking its word to stay out of wars, saying the U.S. is now trying to provoke one that Venezuela refuses to be drawn into. Many in Venezuela say the crisis with Washington has already crossed the line. What worries them now is whether the U.S. might take the next step—from words and targeted strikes to direct military involvement or efforts to topple the government.