Venezuela to deploy 25,000 troops as US military presence grows in Caribbean

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00:00Venezuela is sending 25,000 troops to its borders and coastlines in what officials call a need to

00:06combat drug trafficking. The move comes amid increased U.S. anti-narcotics enforcement in

00:12the same areas of the Caribbean. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said the force expands earlier

00:21deployments to two states that border Colombia. He laid out operations in the mountains to detect

00:27coca cultivation and along rivers to intercept smugglers. Reinforcements are also headed to

00:33areas Caracas calls drug trafficking routes. The timing is important. The U.S. is expanding its

00:41presence in the Caribbean. President Donald Trump ordered 10 F-35 jets to Puerto Rico on top of eight

00:48U.S. warships and 4,500 sailors and Marines already in the region. Washington argues the buildup is

00:55aimed at narcotics networks it links to Nicolas Maduro's government. Justice Department indicted

01:01Maduro and top officials on drug charges, offering up to $50 million for his capture and $15 million

01:09for Padrinos. Pensions between Caracas and D.C. are high. Earlier this month, a U.S. missile strike

01:16sank a boat believed to be from Venezuela, killing 11 people the White House says were traffickers.

01:22A couple of days later, Venezuelan fighter jets flew close to a U.S. destroyer in what was described

01:29as a provocative maneuver. Trump warned if Venezuelan aircraft threaten American forces

01:35again, they'll be shot down. Maduro accuses Washington of using drugs as a pretext for regime

01:42change, saying the U.S. quote, murdered 11 fathers of families. Human rights groups have also criticized

01:49the strike, warning of civilian risks. Colombia says it's worried about instability on its border,

01:55and Caribbean nations are questioning how far U.S. operations could extend. Analysts warn the

02:01danger of escalation rises if both militaries keep building up without talking. To stay up to date with

02:08the latest unbiased straight fact reporting like this, download the Straight Arrow News app today.