Америка зосереджує сили біля Венесуели

The United States has deployed a major naval task force, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, into the Caribbean between Cuba and Venezuela, marking the strongest U.S. presence in the region since the 1989 Panama invasion. Over 10,000 American troops are now operating in the area, with bases such as Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico reactivated to host F‑35 squadrons and MQ‑9 Reaper drones. In addition to the carrier group, at least eight other warships—including the Aegis destroyers USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham—are patrolling the zone, while the amphibious group Iwo Jima transports 2,200 Marines ready for combat. Reconnaissance aircraft like the P‑8 Poseidon circle Venezuela’s coast, and the support ship MV Ocean Trader has entered the region. Strategic bombers B‑52 and B‑1 conduct demonstration flights along Venezuela’s borders. Washington claims the operation targets drug trafficking, citing attacks on 16 vessels in the Caribbean basin that allegedly transported narcotics from Venezuela to the United States, resulting in 67 casualties. However, the official narrative is seen as a pretext for a broader political objective: the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.