The United States is deploying troops to Venezuela: a large-scale operation against drug trafficking has been launched

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hagel announced the launch of a large-scale military operation near Venezuela, which is officially positioned as a campaign against drug trafficking. This was reported by in the social network X.

"Today I am announcing Operation Southern Spear. Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and U.S. Southern Command, this mission protects our homeland, removes drug terrorists from our hemisphere, and protects our homeland from the drugs that kill our people. The Western Hemisphere is America's neighborhood, and we will defend it," he wrote .

The day before, it became known that the Pentagon had handed over to US President Donald Trump updated options for military operations against Venezuela and the regime of Nicolas Maduro. According to interlocutors of CBS News, the options that were considered include not only air strikes, but also potential ground actions.

The start of the operation coincided with reports of the intensification of the so-called US anti-trafficking campaign. The Hill reported that on November 10, the US military conducted its twentieth strike on a ship that it said was transporting drugs, killing four people.

According to media reports, since September, US forces have killed at least 80 people in the Caribbean without providing evidence of their involvement in criminal activity.

• on October 24, the United States sent supersonic bombers B-1 to the coast of Venezuela.
• The next day, America sent a strike group with the newest and largest aircraft carrier to Latin America.
• On October 31, WP reported that Maduro turned to Russia amid the US military presence in the Caribbean, China, and Iran to strengthen the country's "worn-out military capabilities" .
• A possible US air strike or ground operation against Venezuela would divert American attention from Ukraine, said retired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Layton. However, the only question is for how long.
• According to Reuters, on November 12, Venezuela planned to deploy weapons, including outdated Russian equipment, to organize guerrilla resistance or wreak havoc in the event of a US air or ground attack.