U.S. destroys Venezuelan vessels | Trump threatens Colombia
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“… Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, touted the value of dislodging Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, a motivation that the president has stopped just short of confirming directly.
“It’s important to liberate Venezuela from the illegitimate narco-king who’s basically destroying that nation, because that’s a cancer in Latin America,” Moreno said.
Moreno, who was born in Colombia, dismissed the likelihood that Trump’s disclosure of “armed conflict” with traffickers in Venezuela could spiral into a long-term US military commitment: “It will escalate. But it will deescalate very rapidly, because that illegitimate regime will leave very, very quickly, probably within a matter of days.”
… “We ought to just keep shooting them out of the water,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told Semafor of the boats. She predicted Congress would steer clear, in part because it moves too slowly.
… Trump appeared to give the green light for more lawmaker briefings on Thursday, telling reporters that “I don’t think they’ll have a problem with it.”
But a person close to the White House told Semafor that Trump will coordinate with Congress “when Maduro’s corpse is in US custody.”…”
www.yahoo.com
“It’s important to liberate Venezuela from the illegitimate narco-king who’s basically destroying that nation, because that’s a cancer in Latin America,” Moreno said.
Moreno, who was born in Colombia, dismissed the likelihood that Trump’s disclosure of “armed conflict” with traffickers in Venezuela could spiral into a long-term US military commitment: “It will escalate. But it will deescalate very rapidly, because that illegitimate regime will leave very, very quickly, probably within a matter of days.”
… “We ought to just keep shooting them out of the water,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told Semafor of the boats. She predicted Congress would steer clear, in part because it moves too slowly.
… Trump appeared to give the green light for more lawmaker briefings on Thursday, telling reporters that “I don’t think they’ll have a problem with it.”
But a person close to the White House told Semafor that Trump will coordinate with Congress “when Maduro’s corpse is in US custody.”…”
‘It’s important to liberate Venezuela’: Congressional Republicans cheer Trump’s offensive
The president is expanding his “armed conflict," authorizing CIA action as he strikes alleged drug boats. His party is behind him.
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“… The U.S. hasn’t sent this many ships to the Caribbean since the Cuban missile crisis. There are already roughly 6,500 Marines and sailors in the region, operating from eight Navy vessels, as well as 3,500 troops nearby. Once the Ford arrives, the U.S. will have roughly as many ships in the Caribbean as it used to defend Israel from Iranian missile strikes this summer. The carrier strike group also provides far more firepower than is necessary for the occasional attack on narco-trafficking targets. But the ships could be ideal for launching a steady stream of air strikes inside Venezuela.
“The only thing you could use the carrier for is attacking targets ashore, because they are not going to be as effective at targeting small boats at sea,” Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and retired Navy officer, told us. “If you are striking inside Venezuela, the carrier is an efficient way to do it due to the lack of basing in the region.”
As U.S.-military assets in the region have accumulated, the administration’s language about deposing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has grown more threatening. A person close to the White House told Semafor this week that the administration would cooperate with Congress on its plans for military action only when “Maduro’s corpse is in U.S. custody.”…”
1moretimeagain
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This has gone on for a while now. Have any reports of drug shortages in the black market trickled out?
ZenMode
Legend of ZZL
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I agree. We should be arresting, charging and letting the justice system work.
I wasn't a big fan of Trump droning that terrorist leader a few years ago. It's a different situation and I get why it was done, but not ideal.
I’ve had no problem filling my snow rx but it’s also meager compared to my 1989 dose.
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It amazes me sometimes that Tarlov is still employed at Fox. She really is the only voice of reason left there.
Speaking of Tarlov, her podcast, Raging Moderates (along with Scott Galloway), is pretty good.
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Sort of a reset of where we are:
“… The U.S. has not displayed this level of military strength in Latin America since the Cold War, and the convergence of conventional forces with covert intelligence operations marks a dramatic escalation….
[Venezuela] has placed its armed forces on alert and turned to the United Nations for support, warning that the U.S. campaign could violate its sovereignty. With both militaries now positioned for confrontation, the risk of escalation, intentional or otherwise, has sharply increased.
… Since late summer, the U.S. has deployed eight warships, including three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, a cruiser, and a littoral combat ship, supported by Marines, drones, aircraft, and Coast Guard detachments. These naval forces are coordinated with key bases in Puerto Rico, including Muñiz Air National Guard Base and Punta Borinquen Radar Station, which provide logistics, surveillance, and rapid deployment capabilities. The island also hosts F-35s and other aircraft, extending U.S. operational reach across the Caribbean.
The military buildup has been reinforced by air operations. Last week, B-52 Stratofortress bombers conducted “bomber attack demonstrations” near Venezuela, followed by B-1 Lancers that on October 24 flew toward Venezuelan airspace with refueling and surveillance support.
The U.S. described the mission as a “training exercise,” though the timing and proximity raised concerns. President Donald Trump denied the planes were sent “near Venezuela for a show of force,” calling reports “false,” despite independent tracking data showing otherwise.…”
www.newsweek.com
“… The U.S. has not displayed this level of military strength in Latin America since the Cold War, and the convergence of conventional forces with covert intelligence operations marks a dramatic escalation….
[Venezuela] has placed its armed forces on alert and turned to the United Nations for support, warning that the U.S. campaign could violate its sovereignty. With both militaries now positioned for confrontation, the risk of escalation, intentional or otherwise, has sharply increased.
… Since late summer, the U.S. has deployed eight warships, including three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, a cruiser, and a littoral combat ship, supported by Marines, drones, aircraft, and Coast Guard detachments. These naval forces are coordinated with key bases in Puerto Rico, including Muñiz Air National Guard Base and Punta Borinquen Radar Station, which provide logistics, surveillance, and rapid deployment capabilities. The island also hosts F-35s and other aircraft, extending U.S. operational reach across the Caribbean.
The military buildup has been reinforced by air operations. Last week, B-52 Stratofortress bombers conducted “bomber attack demonstrations” near Venezuela, followed by B-1 Lancers that on October 24 flew toward Venezuelan airspace with refueling and surveillance support.
The U.S. described the mission as a “training exercise,” though the timing and proximity raised concerns. President Donald Trump denied the planes were sent “near Venezuela for a show of force,” calling reports “false,” despite independent tracking data showing otherwise.…”
US and Venezuela: Three signs point to risk of war
U.S. military and intelligence actions, coupled with Venezuela’s mobilization, have raised the risk of conflict in the Caribbean.
www.newsweek.com
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“…The United States is deploying the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to waters near Venezuela, escalating its military presence in the region as part of a broader campaign to disrupt drug trafficking and transnational criminal networks. …Sort of a reset of where we are:
“… The U.S. has not displayed this level of military strength in Latin America since the Cold War, and the convergence of conventional forces with covert intelligence operations marks a dramatic escalation….
[Venezuela] has placed its armed forces on alert and turned to the United Nations for support, warning that the U.S. campaign could violate its sovereignty. With both militaries now positioned for confrontation, the risk of escalation, intentional or otherwise, has sharply increased.
… Since late summer, the U.S. has deployed eight warships, including three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, a cruiser, and a littoral combat ship, supported by Marines, drones, aircraft, and Coast Guard detachments. These naval forces are coordinated with key bases in Puerto Rico, including Muñiz Air National Guard Base and Punta Borinquen Radar Station, which provide logistics, surveillance, and rapid deployment capabilities. The island also hosts F-35s and other aircraft, extending U.S. operational reach across the Caribbean.
The military buildup has been reinforced by air operations. Last week, B-52 Stratofortress bombers conducted “bomber attack demonstrations” near Venezuela, followed by B-1 Lancers that on October 24 flew toward Venezuelan airspace with refueling and surveillance support.
The U.S. described the mission as a “training exercise,” though the timing and proximity raised concerns. President Donald Trump denied the planes were sent “near Venezuela for a show of force,” calling reports “false,” despite independent tracking data showing otherwise.…”
US and Venezuela: Three signs point to risk of war
U.S. military and intelligence actions, coupled with Venezuela’s mobilization, have raised the risk of conflict in the Caribbean.
- The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is among the Navy’s most advanced and heavily armed formations….”
US moving huge Navy firepower close to Venezuela
The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Group and its air wing have been ordered to the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility.
www.newsweek.com
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An article running through naval assets relocated to the Caribbean in the last several months, many of them from the Middle East and Europe:
www.businessinsider.com
For example:
“… USS Gravely (DDG-107), another Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer built at the Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyard in Mississippi, was also operating in the area as of October 14, a Navy official confirmed.
… The deployment of the Gravely — which previously spent nine months in active combat during the armed conflict with the Houthis in the Red Sea — to the border was unusual, as the region is typically secured by US border authorities and Coast Guard missions….”
The US Navy is deploying its largest aircraft carrier to Latin America. Here are all the ships it's sent to the region.
The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, comes amid the US' escalating tensions with Venezuela.
www.businessinsider.com
For example:
“… USS Gravely (DDG-107), another Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer built at the Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyard in Mississippi, was also operating in the area as of October 14, a Navy official confirmed.
… The deployment of the Gravely — which previously spent nine months in active combat during the armed conflict with the Houthis in the Red Sea — to the border was unusual, as the region is typically secured by US border authorities and Coast Guard missions….”
