Senior U.S. army officers held talks with the leaders of a number of Caribbean nations on Wednesday as a part of the Trump administration’s rising concentrate on narcotrafficking operations in Latin America. The conferences additionally come as U.S. President Donald Trump weighs doable subsequent steps in his strain marketing campaign towards Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the Trump administration has accused of heading a felony 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. army officers held talks with the leaders of a number of Caribbean nations on Wednesday as a part of the Trump administration’s rising concentrate on narcotrafficking operations in Latin America. The conferences additionally come as U.S. President Donald Trump weighs doable subsequent steps in his strain marketing campaign towards Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the Trump administration has accused of heading a felony 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 felony group actions.” This was Caine’s second time visiting the area because the U.S. army 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 recognized assaults on vessels within the Caribbean and jap Pacific, killing no less than 83 individuals. On the identical time, Trump has ordered a large army buildup within the space. Round 15,000 U.S. personnel at the moment are deployed within the Caribbean, together with round 5,000 service members in Puerto Rico. That is the USA’ largest army presence within the area in many years.
On Tuesday, Trump floated probably holding talks with Maduro to de-escalate tensions. Consultants have argued that Trump’s Caribbean operation is an element of a bigger effort to take away Maduro that might see direct U.S. army motion towards Venezuela.
Learn extra in in the present day’s World Temporary: Prime U.S. Army Officers Meet With Caribbean Leaders.
This submit is a part of FP’s ongoing protection of the Trump administration. Comply with alongside right here.
