Venezuela deploys 25,000 troops amid US military buildup

Venezuela has announced the deployment of 25,000 troops to its border and coastal regions as part of a campaign to combat drug trafficking. This measure comes in response to increased military presence from the United States in the Caribbean, including the deployment of eight warships and F-35 jets ordered by President Donald Trump. The Venezuelan government identifies specific areas as major drug trafficking routes, including Sierra de Perijá, Nueva Esparta, Sucre, Delta Amacuro, Guajira, and Paraguaná Peninsula, where patrols will be conducted. The actions aim to reinforce their military capabilities against perceived threats from narcotics networks linked to the U.S. Justice Department's indictments against President Nicolás Maduro and senior officials for drug conspiracy. This tension escalated after a U.S. missile strike sunk a Venezuelan boat, killing 11 individuals accused of trafficking. The strike drew condemnation from Maduro, who argues that U.S. actions are a guise for an interventionist agenda aimed at regime change. Human rights groups raised alarm over potential civilian casualties, while neighboring Colombia expressed concern over border instability, reflecting broader regional unease towards the U.S. military operations that some Caribbean states question might extend into their waters.