Tensions between the United States and Venezuela are rising after a deadly U.S. strike on a Venezuelan boat in the Caribbean that killed 11 people. U.S. officials said the boat was carrying drugs, but Venezuela strongly denies this and calls the accusations false.
On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Puerto Rico with the top U.S. general. Speaking to sailors and Marines on the USS Iwo Jima, he told them their mission was not training but a real operation to fight drug cartels. He said the goal was to stop narcotics from reaching the United States and harming Americans.
President Donald Trump’s administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of running a “narco-dictatorship,” but Venezuela says it does not produce cocaine and blames other routes, like the Pacific Ocean, for most trafficking. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez even said the U.S. “needs to fix their GPS.”
The U.S. has increased its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico. The Pentagon also said Venezuelan jets recently made a “provocative” flight near a U.S. warship.
In Washington, some Democrats in Congress questioned the legality of the boat strike. They said the administration has not shown clear evidence that the people on the boat were a real threat to the United States. Lawmakers asked for a classified briefing to understand the decision.
Puerto Rico’s governor welcomed the U.S. military visit, saying the island plays a key role in national security.
Meanwhile, Maduro accused the U.S. of trying to use the military to remove him from power, though Trump denied he was planning regime change. The situation has added more strain to already tense U.S.-Venezuela relations.
-Peace News Desk