U.S. Warships Target Drug Trafficking in Caribbean Amid Venezuela's Oil Crisis

The United States has deployed warships in the Caribbean to combat the illegal drug trade, a move Venezuela claims is aimed at destabilizing Nicolás Maduros regime amid an ongoing oil crisis.

• In August, the United States deployed seven warships in the Caribbean and one in the Gulf of Mexico as part of a drug interdiction operation targeting the illegal drug trade.
• Venezuelas government has accused Washington, D.C. of using these military deployments as a strategy to undermine Nicolás Maduros leadership during the countrys severe petroleum crisis.
• The operation highlights the increasing tensions in the Caribbean region, as U.S. efforts to disrupt drug trafficking intersect with Venezuelas struggle to manage its petroleum resources.