Venezuelan Defense Minister Padrino Lopez announced on September 17 that in response to the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean, Venezuela will conduct a three-day military exercise on the northern island of Oshira from today to raise the state of alert towards the Caribbean.

Lopez pointed out that U.S. large-scale military deployments are threatening Venezuela, the Caribbean and the entire Latin American region, and that Venezuela must improve its operational preparedness in response to the armed conflict at sea.

According to the Venezuelan military, Venezuela will dispatch 12 warships, 22 military aircraft and 20 small naval special militia speedboats in this exercise. The exercise includes air, sea and land exercises.

Earlier that day, Venezuelan Interior, Justice and Peace Minister Diostado Cavello said in a news conference that the U.S. Drug Control Agency was suspected of being involved in a recent drug smuggling case seized in Venezuela¡¯s Caribbean.

Cabello mentioned that Venezuela seized 3,680 kilograms of cocaine in the latest anti-drug operation, and said that this incident was planned by the US Drug Control Administration to frame Venezuela. He mentioned that the arrested person confessed that the goods were transported under the direction of an agent of the United States Drug Control Administration.

Cabello said that since the beginning of this year, Venezuela has seized more than 60 tons of drugs, the largest number of drugs seized since 2010.

Regarding U.S. claims to ¡°sink¡± a total of three Venezuelan vessels, Cavallo questioned the authenticity of the news. He said at a news conference, ¡°No one knows about the three vessels they are talking about. They claim to have drugs on board, but who has seen drugs in their own eyes?¡±