The southern Caribbean is suddenly brimming with warships. In early August, multiple U.S. naval vessels — including the USS Lake Erie, Iwo Jima, and Fort Lauderdale — began moving toward Venezuelan waters. Officially, the mission is to combat “narco-terrorist organizations” threatening U.S. national security. Unofficially, critics say it looks like history repeating itself: yet another American show of force in Latin America. President Donald Trump, during his second term, has doubled down on his vow to stop drug trafficking “using every element of American power.” Last month, Washington raised the bounty for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, accusing him of being “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world.” The U.S. Justice Department claims Maduro’s government collaborates with the Cartel de los Soles (“Cartel of the Suns”) and the Venezuelan crime syndicate Tren de Aragua.
While U.S. officials insist the mission stems from a legitimate counter-narcotics directive, no clear public explanation has been given. Reports from Reuters and The New York Times confirm the deployment of over 4,500 troops as part of a Pentagon-approved plan to combat drug cartels designated as terrorist groups. Yet, constitutional law experts like Bruce Fein say the move may violate the War Powers Resolution of 1973 — a law requiring congressional authorization for acts of belligerency. Congress, notably, is in recess.
Fein argues that labeling cartels as terrorist organizations bends U.S. law. “The threat comes from demand, not supply,” he told Al Jazeera, suggesting that America’s drug problems originate within its own borders, not Venezuela’s.
Maduro’s response has been fiery and defiant. Calling the U.S. move an “imperial assault,” he has urged millions of Venezuelans to join newly formed militias. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López promised that “no empire will touch the sacred soil of Venezuela,” while Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced the deployment of 15,000 troops to the Colombian border. Venezuela claims it has already seized over 50 tonnes of drugs this year — evidence, it says, of an ongoing domestic crackdown.
For Caracas, this is not about narco-politics; it’s about sovereignty. “From the north, the empire has gone mad,” Maduro declared on national television, accusing Washington of inventing “extravagant lies” to destabilize his government.
The military buildup is unsettling leaders across Latin America. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum voiced opposition to any U.S. intervention in the region, reaffirming her commitment to sovereignty even while cooperating on anti-drug initiatives. In contrast, Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña has aligned with Washington by designating the Cartel of the Suns a terrorist organization — a move Caracas views as political theatre.
Within Venezuela, opinions are split. Opposition leader María Corina Machado described Maduro as the “head of the Cartel of the Suns,” whereas rival opposition figure Henrique Capriles warned that outside intervention could trigger catastrophic conflict. “The sovereignty of our country is sacred,” he wrote, invoking the UN Charter’s prohibition on aggression between states.
Former interim president Juan Guaidó, Washington’s onetime ally, endorsed the U.S. actions. “Their leader is not hidden in the shadows,” he wrote on X. “His name is Nicolás Maduro.”
The U.S. government’s reclassification of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations represents a profound shift in foreign policy — one blurring the boundaries between law enforcement and warfare. Critics warn it could open the door to unilateral military actions across Latin America under the pretext of counter-narcotics operations. Supporters argue that extraordinary threats demand extraordinary measures.
For now, the warships keep sailing, their mission cloaked in ambiguity. Whether they are instruments of justice or projections of imperial ambition depends on which flag you salute — and from which shore you watch them approach.
