Recently, President Trump of the United States announced the official dispatch of a comprehensive military force to the waters off Venezuela, with the aim of blocking the Venezuelan government from illegally importing drugs into the United States. Venezuelan President Maduro is wanted by the U.S. government with a bounty of up to 50 million dollars, charged with drug terrorism and trafficking.
Multiple U.S. media outlets reported that Trump has ordered at least three Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, a nuclear submarine, and other military forces to be deployed near Venezuela.
According to a later report by Reuters, in addition to the three destroyers, there is also an amphibious readiness group composed of three more warships and around 4,500 Navy Marines that will be deployed to the region.
In response, President Maduro announced on Monday the nationwide deployment of over 4.5 million militia members, organizations that were built during the previous presidency of Chavez in Venezuela. Throughout Trump’s first term, he continuously accused Maduro of being a key player in international drug trade, describing him as a drug terrorist. The White House sees Maduro’s regime not as the legitimate government of Venezuela but as a drug terrorist group led by Maduro. The current administration believes he’s not the legitimate president and is considered a fugitive leader of the drug-trafficking group, indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into Venezuela.
White House spokesperson Caroline stated during a press conference that President Trump’s stance is clear and consistent; he is prepared to use all American forces to prevent drugs from entering the country and bring perpetrators to justice. The Maduro regime is not recognized as a legitimate government of Venezuela but rather a drug terrorist group led by Maduro.
Currently, the U.S. fleet includes three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers: USS Gravely, USS Deneen, and USS Sampson. The U.S. military has also deployed multiple P-8 reconnaissance aircraft in the region, along with at least one attack nuclear submarine. These ships and aircraft will be operating in international airspace to monitor and control Venezuelan military forces.
The P-8 Poseidon is the most advanced anti-submarine patrol aircraft in the U.S. It is primarily used for anti-submarine warfare but equipped with advanced sensors and radar for surface surveillance. It can even carry Harpoon anti-ship missiles and engage in various missions. With Venezuela’s weak air defense capabilities, a P-8 patrol aircraft can conduct surveillance, lay mines, and perform attacks. Given Venezuela’s military strength, the U.S. doesn’t need to deploy aircraft carriers, F-35 fighters, or F-18 fighters.
According to the latest report from Reuters, the U.S. Sulphur Island Expeditionary Strike Group and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit set sail from the Norfolk Naval Base on the U.S. East Coast on August 14th, comprised of three large warships, over 4,500 sailors, and Navy Marines.
The core of this deployment includes the USS Boxer, the USS Antonio, and the USS Lauderdale.
The USS Boxer is an amphibious assault ship of the Wasp class, which began construction in 1997 and was launched in 2000 with a full load displacement of over 40,000 tons. It has a steam turbine, a range of 9,500 nautical miles, and features a flight deck and a large hangar to operate various helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The ship can carry more than 1,600 Navy Marines and serves as a vital platform for U.S. forward deployment.
Accompanying the USS Boxer are two USS San Antonio-class landing ships. The USS San Antonio has a full load displacement of 25,000 tons, can carry two air-cushion landing craft and 14 amphibious assault vehicles, have a flight deck for helicopters and MV-22 transport aircraft, and hold over 600 amphibious Marines for maritime deployment and special operations missions.
In addition to these deployments, there is also a U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarine involved in the military deployment. However, due to the high level of secrecy surrounding the movements of nuclear submarines, the media is unaware of its exact location. The most crucial submarine base on the U.S. East Coast lies at the Kings Bay Base at the border of Florida and Georgia, where Ohio-class nuclear submarines are stationed. Submarines including the USS Alaska, USS Tennessee, USS West Virginia, USS Maryland are all deployed from here, making their way from here to the Caribbean Sea just a few days’ journey.
U.S. submarines such as the Los Angeles-class and Virginia-class submarines can launch torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles. The deployment of the nuclear submarine and the anti-submarine patrol aircraft by the U.S. is crucial to monitor the underwater situation in the vicinity using the sonar of the nuclear submarine and the anti-submarine capabilities of the P-8, as the Venezuelan military and Colombian drug trafficking groups often use small submarines to transport drugs.
In comparison, the Venezuelan navy is relatively weaker, mainly consisting of patrol boats and gunboats with a few larger ships including the Italian-built Marshal Sucre-class frigates. These frigates, purchased by Venezuela in 1975, have a standard displacement of only 2,000 tons and are armed with one Oto 127mm naval gun, Short-range Sythe air defense missiles, and Oto Melara anti-ship missiles. Venezuela’s navy’s other main equipment includes the German-made Type 209 submarines, of which only one is currently in service out of the two ordered.
The Venezuelan Air Force is not particularly strong, with their primary combat aircraft being American F-16 fighters and Russian Su-30 fighters. However, the F-16 fighters are of early models introduced in the ’80s, hence their operational status remains unclear due to limited maintenance over the years. The Su-30 fighters from Russia were acquired over twenty years ago and have limited anti-ship capabilities. Given the deployment of three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers by the U.S., it is unlikely that these fighters could approach within 400 kilometers of the U.S. fleet, as they would likely be detected and targeted by U.S. radars and missiles.
In the eight months since the Trump administration took office, there have been decisive actions such as the bombing of Iran with B-2 bombers, deploying the National Guard to D.C., and now sending warships to surround Venezuela. It is evident that the U.S. genuinely aims to completely cut off the drug trafficking routes from Latin American countries to the United States. Colombia is one of the world’s highest producers of cocaine, and the drug trafficking groups from Colombia in cooperation with the Venezuelan government use various means to transport drugs via the Venezuelan military to the Caribbean and Central American countries before entering the U.S. Consequently, for the U.S. government, Colombia and Venezuela are the sources of these drugs, and halting these origins will effectively control drug trafficking.
With the overwhelming military power of the U.S., the modest threat posed by Venezuela’s three frigates, one submarine, and twenty Su-30 fighters is insignificant. In the Caribbean region, the likelihood of a conflict breaking out between the two sides is low; however, the situation is still evolving, and we will continue to provide updates on new developments.