Amphibious warships join US destroyers nearing Venezuela amid crackdown on cartels
By ANTONIO MARÍA DELGADO MIAMI HERALD •
August 21, 2025
Venezuela keeps a warship on alert, following the announcement of the presence of U.S. Navy ships in the Caribbean Sea, in Puerto Cabello, Carabobo, Venezuela, on Aug. 16, 2025. (Juan Carlos Hernandez/ZUMA Press Wire via TNS) (Tribune News Service) —
The U.S. has added a powerful amphibious squadron to a previously revealed deployment of three Navy destroyers nearing Venezuela as part of a major counternarcotics operation. Two officials familiar with the deployment, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Reuters news agency that three Navy warships — the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort Lauderdale — could be stationed off the coast of Venezuela as early as Sunday. Together, the ships are carrying 4,500 service members, including a 2,200-strong Marine expeditionary unit.
The Pentagon has not publicly disclosed the mission, but sources told the news agency that the move aligns with a broader Trump administration ‘s aims at addressing threats to U.S. national security from specially designated “narco-terrorist organizations” in the region.
Speaking about the possible use of U.S. military personnel in Venezuela, the White House said that the deployment underscores Trump’s pledge to use every instrument of American power — from sanctions to military force — to stop narcotics from reaching U.S. soil.
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https://www.stripes.com/theaters/americas/2025-08-21/destroyers-near-venezuela-joined-amphibious-warship-cartels-18837034.htmlSource - Stars and Stripes
