Part 11/15:
The Trump administration has taken an increasingly aggressive stance against Venezuela’s Maduro regime, with a series of military and covert actions. Notably, the Department of Justice has issued a memo declaring that the U.S. is engaged in an armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels, designating cartel members as unlawful combatants—an unprecedented move that broadens presidential powers for military action.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has deployed guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighters, a nuclear submarine, and roughly 6,500 troops to the region. This buildup reflects mounting tensions, heightened by reports of U.S. strikes against maritime vessels suspected of drug smuggling.