The US Army Prepares to Capture Ports in Venezuela: What We Know.

Trump Declares War on Drug Cartels

According to The Sun: According to reports, US military officials are preparing to capture ports and airfields in Venezuela as Donald Trump declared a full-scale war against drug cartels.

The president shocked Washington by officially stating that the US is in a 'non-international armed conflict' with Latin American 'terrorist organizations'.

President Trump declared a full-scale war against drug cartels, calling them 'terrorist organizations' alt='(FILES) The guided missile destroyer USS Sampson sails off the coast of Colombia in the Pacific Ocean on June 29, 2024. US President Donald Trump is deploying three warships off the coast of Venezuela in efforts against drug trafficking, according to a source familiar with the move on August 20. (Photo JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP)'> class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36902047' width='960' height='640'/> US military prepares to capture ports and airfields in Venezuela alt='Illustration of the 'War on Drugs' between the US and Venezuela, showing military assets, troop numbers, and weapons of both countries.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36902051' width='783' height='960'/>

US Action Plan

This move, contained in a secret memo to Congress, gives Trump broad wartime powers to strike, eliminate, and detain cartel fighters without trial.

The Pentagon is gradually increasing forces sufficient to capture territory on Venezuelan soil.

According to information from the Washington Examiner, US planners have enough firepower to seize key ports and airfields.

A powerful armada has gathered off the coast of Venezuela: warships, a submarine, ten F-35 Lightning II fighters, and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit — 2,200 Marines with helicopters and armored vehicles.

US Special Forces have been conducting training for airfield assault and seizure in the Caribbean Sea.

alt='US Navy F-35 fighters approach José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36902672' width='960' height='640'/> AFP

The Pentagon has not confirmed invasion plans but states its readiness.

Venezuela's Reaction

Tensions rose when Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez reported that five F-35s were detected by air defense systems in the Maiquetía air information area.

alt='Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez speaks to a loudspeaker on a tank after military exercises.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36902420' width='960' height='640'/> AFP

Padrino considers the flights a provocation and assures that Caracas 'will not be intimidated'.

Washington Democrats also expressed outrage over the president's actions.

Senator Jack Reed, a Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, noted that Trump had not provided 'any plausible legal justification, evidence, or intelligence for these strikes'.

Experts believe that Trump is overstepping his powers by trying to apply them to cartels that, unlike Al-Qaeda, have not carried out direct military attacks on the US.

Trump personally accuses Nicolás Maduro of 'mass murder, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and acts of violence and terror'.

The Venezuelan dictator, who has ruled the country for over 12 years, refers to Trump's actions as a pretext for regime change, and reports that he has mobilized 2.5 million military personnel ready to confront 'threats of bombs, death, and blackmail'.

alt='Venezuelan army soldiers during military exercises.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36902415' width='960' height='720'/> AFP

Trump warned on Truth Social: “STOP SELLING FENTANYL, DRUGS, AND ILLEGAL COCKTAILS TO AMERICA, AND COMMITTING VIOLENCE AND TERROR AGAINST AMERICANS!!!”

In his memo to Congress, Trump referred to cartel fighters as “illegal combatants,” whose smuggling “constitutes an armed attack on the United States.”

The president positions the drug crisis as a threat to national security, equating it to the fight against Al-Qaeda after September 11.

Trump's War on Drugs?

Harvey Gech, Foreign News Reporter

DONALD TRUMP HAS INITIATED HIS POST-PRESIDENCY WAR ON DRUGS – TARGETING CARTELS IN PLACE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.

The first day of Trump's second term began with declaring drug traffickers as terrorists, giving him the right to destroy them before they can reach American shores.

In Washington, it's believed that criminals should have been arrested, but the White House claims that law enforcement is ineffective.

Trump assured after the strike: “This is just the beginning.”

The US president has always spoken about his desire to act against drug cartels, which he accuses Nicolás Maduro of actively supporting.

Maduro denies these accusations, but in recent months, the escalation of the situation has led to tense conflicts.

The US has positioned destroyers and troops around Maduro's waters, while the Venezuelan dictator has ordered mass mobilization of troops.