Senior U.S. navy officers held talks with the leaders of a number of Caribbean nations on Wednesday as a part of the Trump administration’s rising deal with narcotrafficking operations in Latin America. The conferences additionally come as U.S. President Donald Trump weighs potential subsequent steps in his stress marketing campaign towards Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the Trump administration has accused of heading a prison group that oversees drug smuggling into the USA.
U.S. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Dominican President Luis Abinader and Protection Minister Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre on Wednesday to “strengthen protection relationships and reaffirm America’s dedication to defend the homeland.”
Senior U.S. navy officers held talks with the leaders of a number of Caribbean nations on Wednesday as a part of the Trump administration’s rising deal with narcotrafficking operations in Latin America. The conferences additionally come as U.S. President Donald Trump weighs potential subsequent steps in his stress marketing campaign towards Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the Trump administration has accused of heading a prison group that oversees drug smuggling into the USA.
U.S. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Dominican President Luis Abinader and Protection Minister Carlos Antonio Fernández Onofre on Wednesday to “strengthen protection relationships and reaffirm America’s dedication to defend the homeland.”
That very same day, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Employees, met with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, throughout which the 2 “exchanged views on challenges affecting the Caribbean area, together with the destabilizing results of illicit narcotics, arms, and human trafficking, and transnational prison group actions.” This was Caine’s second time visiting the area because the U.S. navy kicked off its counter-narcotrafficking operation there.
In early September, the USA started launching strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats. Since then, Washington has carried out 21 identified assaults on vessels within the Caribbean and jap Pacific, killing not less than 83 folks. On the similar time, Trump has ordered a massive military buildup within the space. Round 15,000 U.S. personnel are actually deployed within the Caribbean, together with round 5,000 service members in Puerto Rico. That is the USA’ largest navy presence within the area in many years.
On Tuesday, Trump floated doubtlessly holding talks with Maduro to de-escalate tensions. Specialists have argued that Trump’s Caribbean operation is an element of a bigger effort to take away Maduro that might see direct U.S. military action towards Venezuela.
Learn extra in at present’s World Transient: Top U.S. Military Officials Meet With Caribbean Leaders.
This submit is a part of FP’s ongoing protection of the Trump administration. Observe alongside here.
