“US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth announced the beginning of a large-scale military operation, which, according to the official statements of the US administration, is aimed at combating drug trafficking. However, the unprecedented deployment of military forces, including an aircraft carrier strike group, and previous White House discussions of options for military operations in Venezuela may point to a possible military intervention.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Pete Hegseth. Photo: Getty Images Source: Hegset v X social networks
Hegset’s direct speech: “President Trump gave the order to act – and the Department of Defense is carrying it out.
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Led by Joint Task Force Southern and Southern Command (Southcom), this mission protects our homeland, rids our hemisphere of narco-terrorists, and protects our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The Western Hemisphere is our home and we will protect it.”
Details: This decision was preceded by a meeting in the White House on November 11. During it, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kane and other high-ranking military leaders presented US President Donald Trump with military options for actions in the region. Among them, in particular, “possible ground strikes on Venezuela” were considered.
Evidence of the scope of the operation is a significant increase in the US military presence in the area of responsibility of the Southern Command.
Warships, F-35 fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft were sent to the region. It was the climax sending an aircraft carrier strike group led by the world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. There are up to five thousand military personnel on board the ship, an air wing that includes F/A-18 Super Hornets fighters, as well as Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles.
The beginning of the operation coincided with the news about the intensification of the actions of the American military. According to the publication The Hillwhich cites a Pentagon official, on Monday a twentieth strike was carried out on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel, killing four people.
The U.S. military has reportedly killed at least 80 people since a campaign of shooting boats in the Caribbean began in September without providing evidence of criminal involvement.
The US administration does not hide that the deployment of military forces is part of a strategy to put pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom Washington characterizes as an “illegitimate leader.”
Previously, a number of American media, including The New York Times, reportedthat the Trump administration was exploring options for legalizing Venezuela’s declaration of war and the use of special forces to conduct ground operations on its territory.