The United States has ordered the deployment of a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine to the southern Caribbean, escalating pressure on Venezuela as part of a wider operation against drug trafficking in the region. The move also includes the USS Lake Erie, a guided-missile cruiser.
Both vessels are expected to arrive off Venezuela’s coast in the coming days. The USS Newport News, a Los Angeles-class submarine, is described by the Atlantic Submarine Force as “the backbone of the United States Navy’s submarine force,” capable of engaging land, sea, and air targets with advanced weapons systems.
Their deployment follows last week’s arrival of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, consisting of the assault ship USS Iwo Jima, the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio, and the landing ship USS Fort Lauderdale. Three destroyers – the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson – also reached waters near Venezuela earlier this week. In total, the latest U.S. buildup brings about 4,500 personnel to the Caribbean, including more than 2,400 Marines.
The U.S. Southern Command said the deployments are intended to counter “threats to U.S. national security posed by narco-terrorist organizations in the region.” The Trump administration has framed the buildup as part of its broader strategy to curb drug trafficking routes into the United States.
Tensions with Caracas have spiked to their highest levels since 2019, when diplomatic ties between Washington and Venezuela were formally severed. The White House recently doubled its reward for the capture of President Nicolás Maduro to US$50 million, accusing him of leading the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns).
In response, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced the deployment of Venezuelan warships, drones, and larger vessels to territorial waters. Caracas also submitted a formal letter to the United Nations, denouncing what it called heightened U.S. threats. Foreign Minister Yvan Gil handed the letter to U.N. official Gianluca Rampolla, accusing Washington of deploying offensive nuclear-capable submarines “without transparency” in violation of regional disarmament commitments.
The letter urged the U.N. to demand an end to the U.S. deployment, seek “clear and verifiable guarantees” against nuclear threats in Latin America and the Caribbean, and convene a regional conference.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced the dispatch of 15,000 troops to the Colombian border, claiming that the move is a precautionary step amid rising tensions.
President Maduro echoed his ministers’ warnings, declaring that “no one touches Venezuela.” He said he had activated “all Venezuelan forces and national powers to defend the country from the illegal, immoral, and criminal threats of the American empire,” claiming that Venezuela’s defense system was undergoing a “dynamic reorganization” and “acceleration in deployment” in response to the U.S. buildup.
