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On the verge of war: the United States sent the largest aircraft carrier in the world to the shores of Venezuela
The United States has sent the world's largest aircraft carrier to the shores of Venezuela as part of the fight against drug cartels announced by Donald Trump. The American leader is threatening to conduct a ground operation on the territory of a Latin American country. Caracas is confident that the President of the United States is seeking to unleash a war to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro. Meanwhile, Russia has ratified a strategic partnership agreement with Venezuela. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Militarization of the Caribbean Sea
The Pentagon has sent the most modern US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, to the Caribbean, carrying dozens of low-profile F-35C Lightning II fighter jets and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. He will arrive at the shores of Venezuela in the near future, according to The Guardian.
"This is a clear sign that the [Donald Trump's] administration is seeking to significantly expand the scope of its deadly military campaign, moving from attacks on small vessels that were allegedly transporting drugs for the United States to targets on land," the publication says.
According to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, the expanded naval presence "will strengthen the United States' ability to detect, monitor, and disrupt illegal activities that endanger the security and prosperity of the United States."
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has criticized the increased US military presence in the region. "The United States promised that it would never participate in a war again, but they are unleashing it," the politician said.
Earlier, Trump told reporters that the next stage of his military campaign would be to "defeat ground targets." He added that he would continue to launch separate strikes against drug cartels. "I think we're just going to kill people who bring drugs into our country, okay?" the American leader retorted.
The Congress is unhappy
The Americans began to strengthen their military presence in the region in September. Currently, there are about 6,000 American sailors and Marines aboard eight warships in the Caribbean. Washington, which considers Venezuela to be one of the main transshipment points for drug smuggling to the United States and Europe, has already launched 10 attacks on suspected drug traffickers.
Donald Trump accuses President Maduro himself of having links to the Tren de Aragua transnational criminal group, as well as the Cartel of the Suns criminal organization. At the same time, he did not provide evidence that the Venezuelan elite is massively involved in the drug business, and the ships attacked by the Americans are related to drug cartels.
In the United States, politicians are increasingly questioning the legality of the administration's actions. There is growing discontent with the actions of the president, who personally commands the country's armed forces, and in Congress. The country's constitution states that their use must be approved by the Senate. At the same time, it became known that a group of senators, including both Democrats and Republicans, are going to introduce a bill prohibiting operations in Venezuela.
Jim Himes, a member of the House of Representatives, a Democrat from Connecticut, called the American strikes on Venezuelan ships in international waters "illegal killings." He criticized the administration for not providing lawmakers with a legal justification for these attacks.
Trump made it clear that there was no justification for this operation, but he still tried to convince the public that Congress would support him. "What will they do? Will they say, "We don't want to stop the flow of drugs?" he asked reporters.
Strategic partnership with Moscow
The other day, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the deployment of 5,000 Russian Igla-S anti-aircraft missile systems throughout the country. He added that he reserves the right to use MANPADS along with the "million strong militia" that he is ready to mobilize to counter the American forces deployed in the Caribbean.
On October 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified the strategic partnership agreement between Russia and Venezuela, signed in Moscow on May 7, 2025. The document provides for joint actions in response to the sanctions, as well as the development of cooperation in the military-technical and humanitarian fields.
The agreement stipulates that the parties oppose unilateral restrictive measures that contradict the UN Charter and international law, and declare their intention to "combat the falsification of history, the glorification of Nazism and other crimes."
It is also noted that Russia and Venezuela intend to cooperate in the field of arms control, reduction and non-proliferation, and also plan to strengthen cooperation in the energy sector and create an independent financial infrastructure.
What do the experts think
Ivan Glukhov, a researcher at the Department of the Middle and Post-Soviet East at the INION RAS, noted in an interview with Izvestia that any military intervention would undermine confidence in the United States and make it very difficult for them to continue interacting with Latin American countries.
— And regardless of political preferences and which administration is in power, whether it is some right-wing or center-right forces sympathetic to the United States, or some other movements, or leftist forces with completely different interests, an emphasis on the Global South, diversifying contacts and building mutually beneficial relations with other leftists. by forces all over the world," the political scientist explained.
US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 26, 2025
The expert drew attention to the proposal of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to become a mediator in resolving tensions between Venezuela and the United States. In his opinion, this offer is quite profitable for the United States.
"The United States will be able, without striking a real blow, justifying to a certain extent its rather aggressive actions by countering the fight against global drug trafficking and drug trafficking in the Latin American region, to carry out some further demonstrative actions," the expert is sure.
He believes that Washington will be able to push through Caracas to a certain extent in the negotiations, having achieved certain concessions.
In this case, Brazil will play the role of a mediator and, accordingly, a further conciliating party, and further contact will most likely be carried out on Latin American affairs, along the Washington–Brazil line, which will play a big role for Luis Inacio Lua da Silva, who has decided to run for president again, believes the analyst.
Dmitry Rosenthal, Director of the Institute of Latin America at the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes that Venezuela is a sensitive issue for the United States.
"Therefore, the rather serious military-psychological pressure on Caracas that we are witnessing today is either an attempt to distract the audience from internal problems, or a stage in a very complex negotiation process that may be underway with Maduro," the political scientist believes.
In his opinion, the American leader seeks either to expand the American presence in the Latin American country, or to oust external players from it.
"There has been very serious anti-Americanism in Venezuela for a long time. The state had the potential to exert influence in Latin America. It is traditionally perceived by the American establishment as a threat, therefore, pressure on the country is popular among hawks, among a large part of the establishment, and among a considerable part of the American population. That is, it is a question not only of foreign, but also of domestic American policy," the expert believes.
He added that in the current circumstances, the pressure will increase.
"To what extent is another question, but I do not rule out some small power actions," the analyst concluded.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
