US Massively Increases Military Presence in the Caribbean!

The Miami Herald reported earlier on the 31st that the Trump administration had decided to attack Venezuelan military facilities and could launch an airstrike within "days or even hours." Regarding this, President Trump, while traveling on the presidential aircraft "Air Force One" to Florida for the weekend on the same day, stated that he had not yet decided whether to launch attacks against ground targets within Venezuela.

Separately, according to a Newsweek report on October 31st, images captured by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2C satellite show that the US Navy's amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and the destroyer USS Gravely have been deployed to waters from which they can strike targets inside Venezuela. This move marks a significant escalation of the situation in the region. With these two warships deployed near Venezuela's maritime border, the Pentagon is evaluating potential strike and blockade options.

US media reported that the USS Iwo Jima carries more than 1,600 Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well as various military aircraft including AV-8B Harrier attack aircraft, AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, and MV-22 Osprey multi-mission tiltrotor transport aircraft. Accompanying the USS Iwo Jima are the San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks USS San Antonio and USS Fort Lauderdale. This amphibious ready group also includes five other Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the attack submarine USS Newport News, US Coast Guard patrol boats, and logistics vessels.

Recently, Trump has repeatedly threatened to launch ground strikes against Venezuela, and the Pentagon's military deployment in the Caribbean region is the largest in over 30 years. ABC News reported on October 31st that the Trump administration has already compiled a list of targets, awaiting only Trump's order. Some experts anticipate that the targets include Venezuelan ports, airports, and other facilities.

Since September, the US government has claimed that US forces have sunk 15 "drug trafficking boats" in international waters of the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, resulting in at least 61 deaths. The US House of Representatives held a classified briefing on this matter on October 30th. US media, citing Democratic House members who attended the briefing, reported that Defense Department officials were unclear about the identities of those killed. Recent reports from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) indicate that Venezuela is not a primary source of drugs entering the United States. The Venezuelan government has repeatedly accused the United States of attempting to instigate regime change in Venezuela through military threats and of pursuing military expansion in Latin America.