Venezuela will send 25,000 troops to coastal states to fight drug trafficking, President Nicolás Maduro’s government said, following a U.S. deployment of 10 fighter jets to Puerto Rico for operations against drug cartels.
President Maduro also directed reinforcements to the Guajira region of Zulia state and the Paraguana peninsula in Falcón, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said. Both areas are considered key routes for drug trafficking.
Military presence will also be increased on the island of Nueva Esparta and in Sucre and Delta Amacuro states.
The new deployment raises troop numbers from 10,000 to 25,000 in coastal and border regions with Colombia.
Padrino emphasised Venezuela would handle the problem itself.
“No one is going to come and do the work for us. No one is going to step on this land and do what we’re supposed to do,” he said in a video posted to social media.
Tensions with the U.S. have grown after President Donald Trump expanded military operations against drug cartels. Last week, a U.S. strike sank a Venezuelan boat carrying drugs, killing 11 people.
Trump has stressed that the U.S. is not seeking regime change but has warned that overdoses of hundreds of thousands of Americans justify strong action.
The administration is reportedly considering further strikes, potentially targeting suspected cartel locations inside Venezuela, CNN reported on Friday. Such action would represent a significant escalation.
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