U.S. Sending Ships to Caribbean on Anti-Illegal Drug Trade Mission
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The administration of United States President Donald Trump is sending warships to the Caribbean claiming it is an effort to stop the illegal drug trade.
The move, announced by Trump on April 1, came a week after the U.S. charged Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other senior officials in the country with “narco-terrorism”. It accused them of flooding the U.S. with cocaine and using drugs as a weapon to undermine the health of Americans.
A reward of $15 million has also been offered for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.
“We must not let the drug cartels exploit the (coronavirus) pandemic to threaten American lives,” said Trump in making the announcement at the White House.
“Today, the United States is launching enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to protect the American people from the deadly scourge of illegal narcotics.”
PARTNERSHIP
Trump said the U.S.is co-operating with 22 nations, enabling the U.S. Southern Command to “increase surveillance, disruption and seizures of drug shipments and provide additional support for eradication efforts which are going on right now at a record pace.
“We’re deploying additional Navy destroyers, combat ships, aircraft and helicopters, Coast Guard cutters and Air Force surveillance aircraft, doubling our capabilities in the region.”
The U.S. deployment came two days after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offered to lift crippling sanctions against Venezuela if Maduro and Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó agreed to a power-sharing deal.Under the U.S. plan, Maduro would step aside and a transitional council would govern until fresh elections.
The Venezuelan government, has, however, called the deployment a “diversion” from the current pandemic spreading around the U.S. and the world.
Venezuela has experienced economic collapse. Inflation was 800,000 percent last year. Close to five million people have left the country.
Guaidó, who has accused Maduro of being unfit for office, has won the support of the U.S. and European Union.
