The US’ expanding naval presence around Latin America is deepening military tensions with Venezuela.
The US fleet’s most advanced aircraft carrier arrived in Caribbean waters Tuesday, as Venezuela raised its military alert levels; the country reportedly plans to respond to a potential US attack with guerrilla-style resistance. Washington said the move was to disrupt narcotics trafficking — more than a dozen US strikes have targeted boats allegedly carrying drugs. But assets like the USS Gerald R. Ford are meant to project power and deterrence, The Washington Post reported: “The only reason to move it there is to use it against Venezuela,” one expert said.
The deployments prompted the UK to suspend some intelligence sharing with Washington, CNN reported.