U.S. Sends Warships to Venezuelan Coast
Neve Walker
Staff Writer
On September 2, 2025, the United States attacked a Venezuelan ship said to have been carrying drugs. The Associated Press reported that the U.S. has stationed maritime forces off the coast of Venezuela, with the goal of combating Latin American drug cartels. The U.S. government has not indicated any plan of land invasion, though thousands of personnel are deployed.
The U.S. Navy had two Aegis guided-missile destroyers in the Caribbean named the USS Gravely and the USS Jason Dunham. Additionally, the USS Sampson and USS Lake Erie are in the Pacific Ocean off Latin America, as reported by a defense official. The Associated Press further reports that military presence is set to expand to three more amphibious assault ships, as well as more than 4,000 sailors and Marines by next week. Reuters reports that seven US warships and one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine are either in the region or arriving this coming week.
U.S. President Trump has made cracking down on drug cartels a premier goal of his administration. This contributes to the administration’s wider efforts to limit migration through the southern border. For this specific instance, however, the Pentagon has not indicated publicly what the U.S. mission is; although Trump did make a mention that it is prepared to use the military to go after drug cartels and criminal groups. Reuters writes that Trump has directed the Pentagon to “prepare options,”A U.S. official said that the Trump administration can use the military to go after Latin American cartels and gangs that are designated as global terrorist organizations. In February, the Trump administration designated both Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua as global terrorist organizations, according to Reuters.
Venezuela responded by sending warships and drones to patrol its coastline. Along with this, they are launching a recruitment campaign of thousands of militia members to bolder their defenses. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro vowed that there is no way the U.S. can launch a ground invasion, and Venezuela is prepared to defend its “peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” as reported by CBS News.
CBS News also reports that on September 4, two armed Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over the USS Jason Dunham. According to Defense Department officials, this action was a “show of force” by the Venezuelan government. CBS News has not been able to determine the response from the flotilla.
This situation shows growing tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, with both sides increasing their military presence in the region. While the United States has focused its messaging on targeting drug cartels and criminal groups, the Venezuelan government views the deployment as a direct threat. Without a clear mission statement from the Pentagon, the risk of misunderstanding or escalation could rise. The Venezuelan military continues to expand its patrols and recruitment efforts, while U.S. forces prepare for larger operations in the coming weeks. For now, the escalation remains at sea, but the show of force from both governments signals that the dispute over security, sovereignty, and criminal networks is far from resolved.
Image courtesy of Getty Images.
