US may launch attack on Venezuela, targeting drug hideouts, naval fleet deployed

Washington, DC (The Uttam Hindu): The United States may soon take military action against Venezuela. President Donald Trump is considering attacking drug dens and smuggling routes in Venezuela, according to CNN, citing three White House officials.

US may attack Venezuela, targeting drug hideouts; naval fleet deployed : According to reports, the US is planning a large-scale military operation. According to US officials, Trump has intensified discussions on possible ground attacks in Venezuela in recent days. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the US Navy's advanced aircraft carrier strike group 'Gerald R Ford' deployed in Europe to be sent towards the Caribbean region. Along with this, Trump has also given permission to the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.

Trump also said the US would still keep open the option of diplomatic dialogue with Venezuela to stop drug trafficking into the US. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on a TV program that his country has deployed 5,000 Igla-S missiles obtained from Russia to counter the US threat.

According to Maduro, these missiles are designed to defend the country's peace and independence and are intended to prevent short-range attacks in the airspace. He added that these weapons are capable of responding to any external imperialist threat and that the Venezuelan military is fully prepared to defend every inch of the homeland.

Meanwhile, the US military continues to crack down on vessels involved in drug trafficking in international waters in the Caribbean. Six people were killed in a recent attack on a drug smuggling vessel, bringing the total number of casualties in such operations since last month to 43.

The US has long opposed President Maduro's government. The Trump administration has deployed naval vessels off the Venezuelan coast in what it officially describes as an anti-drug operation.