Preliminary
Just on October 24, an order was issued from the White House, The most advanced USS Ford aircraft carrier strike group turns around and heads straight for the Caribbean SeaThey crossed the Mediterranean Sea and headed directly to Venezuela.
The U.S. Department of Defense said it was "anti-drug" andBut looking at the military actions in the past few months, it's not as simple as just catching a few drug dealers. The tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea are now overwhelmed with dark clouds and strong fighting spirit. This dangerous confrontation between the United States and Venezuela is about to reach the ceiling.
Aircraft carriers are here, not just for drugs
This time the US military launched the "Ford" aircraft carrier, is in the hands of the United States, cost $ 13 billion, with F-35C invisible fighter aircraft, radar system new upgrades, Known as the "mobile arsenal at sea",But more importantly, it didn't come alone, but rushed to the Caribbean with it, along with the amphibious assault ship "Iwo Jima", the transport ship "San Antonio", nuclear-powered submarines, destroyers, and cruisers, which almost moved half of the US military fleet.
Since August this year, the U.S. military has been warming up around Venezuela, first sending an amphibious squadron to the Southern Caribbean, and then in mid-October, it gathered about 10,000 soldiers, eight warships, a nuclear submarine, as well as fighter jets and B-52 bombers circling around the Venezuelan coastline.
These planes are not here to patrol the landscape. On October 15, three B-52s circled directly in the airspace 150 miles away from Venezuela for a long time. The magnitude of the movements and the fierce battles made people wonder : Is this really what "anti-drug" needs?
The defense ministry says the deployments are aimed at “enhancing the ability to investigate, monitor and prevent threats to U.S. national security.” but the question is whether Venezuela is really the main channel for drug trafficking into the United States? Mexico and Central America are the main roads of drugs, while Venezuela is just a "crossing stop", which is not on the same key line as the drug crisis in the United States.
Moreover, if it was really for drugs, the use of fighter aircraft bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines would not be too small to do, and moreover, since the September 10 military strikes, have caused at least 43 people to die, which is like fighting drug dealers, more like "shaking the serpent".
The goal is not poison, but oil and power
To understand the sudden "face change" of the United States this time, we must look deeper. Venezuela is the country with the largest oil reserves in the world, with reserves reaching 304 billion barrels, more than Saudi Arabia. If the Middle East is the "old base" of U.S. energy strategy, Venezuela is the “back garden” it doesn’t want to let go.
The problem is that this back garden does not obey, and the Maduro government has been dealing with the settlement of the currency over the years, while approaching China and Russia, in Venezuela's oil exports in 2023, The percentage of settlements in domestic or non-USD has exceeded 20%.This directly hit the lungs of the dollar hegemony, and for the United States, which has always relied on the "oil dollar" to consolidate global economic hegemony, this "de-dollarization" is simply more dangerous than drugs.
Latin America has always been the "backyard" in the eyes of the United States. However, Venezuela has not only failed to cooperate in recent years, but has frequently played devil's advocate in international affairs and cooperated deeply with China, Russia and other countries, which has made Washington unable to sit still. In addition, the Trump administration faces economic inflation and political pressure in the country.It seems that it has become a familiar script to divert attention from a "tough external" military action.
So this time the U.S. military is not "going through the field", but almost a team of guys who can handle. aircraft carrier strike group, two-stage operation squadron, nuclear submarines, this is not the standard configuration for carrying out drug missions, but more like the opponent to play "If you are no longer obeying, I can really do it" of the textbook deterrence, the Navy even officials directly: The core purpose of this military deployment is to "show strength and send signals."
Maduro refuses to admit defeat, Venezuela shows its trump card
In the face of heavy pressure from the United States, the Maduro administration has not chosen to remain silent, he has publicly stated that the military deployment is a serious threat to regional peace, and announced that the nation will mobilize more than 4 million militias to prepare for resistance, his position is clear: If you dare to do it, Venezuela won't sit still and wait for death.
Not only that, Maduro also began to draw allies, the American Bolivarian Coalition, and political parties and social organizations from 68 countries to jointly issue statements, condemning the U.S. military actions that undermine the peace in Latin America, and Venezuela obviously does not intend to do nothing on the diplomatic front.
This international confrontation also caused an uproar. The Mexican president clearly distanced himself from the relationship, saying that he had "no knowledge" and completely opposed interventionism. Colombian authorities have openly accused the U.S. military of “mistakenly bombing fishing boats” that killed three fishermen.This incident adds to the previously tense situation.
While the Trump administration in the United States is not a piece of iron, intelligence agencies have been authorized to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, and even officials have issued outrages: "We know where Maduro is, and we can do it whenever we want.This almost naked threat is no longer diplomatic rhetoric, but more like shirtless pressure.
It's not that we haven't seen similar scripts in history. Which of them in Iraq, Libya, and Syria did not end up in long-term turmoil after the US military entered "under the banner of justice"? If Venezuela is also drawn into this script, what will be the consequences? I am afraid no one will dare to speak lightly about victory or defeat.
Caribbean winds can't dispel the gunpowder smell of crisis
The "Ford" aircraft carrier is expected to arrive offshore Venezuela in early November, by which time the deployment of U.S. troops in the Caribbean will be overwhelming. From aerial reconnaissance to naval blockade, from submarine lurking to the gradual maturity of ground strike options, the entire situation is changing from "possible action" to "start fighting at any time."
But the real question is, who will end the war, who will pay, who will be responsible for possible civilian casualties, regional unrest and further disruption of the international order?
This seemingly “drug” military operation is actually a crossroads of multiple interests. It is a reaction to US dollar hegemony, a geopolitical confrontation, a shift in domestic politics, and Venezuela’s persistence.It is also the rebound of Latin American countries to the "background thinking", under the Caribbean wave, hides not only nuclear submarines, but also the pull of national will, diplomatic game and historical habitability.
References:
The US Defense Secretary dispatches the USS Ford aircraft carrier battle group to "combat drug trafficking in Latin America"
2025-10-25 CCTV
The US military deploys the USS Ford aircraft carrier strike group to the waters surrounding Latin America
New Kyiv News 25 October 2025