Amid US President Donald Trump's call for the closure of airspace around Venezuela, speculations are rife that a US land invasion could happen anytime. Though Trump acknowledged that he spoke to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, reports are that over 10 US warships, including the country’s largest carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, are bearing down on the Caribbean.
A Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of an amphibious land invasion has also been deployed, according to the New York Post. Earlier, there were reports that USS Gravely and USS Stockdale, two guided-missile destroyers, are currently operating in the region along with the guided-missile cruisers USS Lake Erie and USS Gettysburg.
The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group houses nine air wings, equivalent to more than 70 aircraft. Other deployed ships include the USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship capable of carrying up to six Harrier II attack aircraft.
Up to 2,200 Marines, based at Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina, have also been stationed in the Caribbean. A total of 15,000 military personnel, including shipboard Marines and around 5,000 personnel at bases in Puerto Rico, are deployed in the area, reports added.
The US has also reactivated the Roosevelt Roads Naval Base in Puerto Rico as part of this military deployment. This is aimed at curtailing the flow of narcotics to the country by supporting the Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security.
The US action is part os its push to combat drug trafficking from the socialist country. Trump, however, clarified that this decision does not imply an imminent attack. But, Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin has claimed that Washington gave Maduro the opportunity to leave Venezuela. ”By the way, we gave Maduro the opportunity to leave," Mullin told CNN. The senator, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, even specified that they offered him the chance to travel to Russia or another country.
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- The real reason Nicolas Maduro won't flee Venezuela despite Trump’s warning: A deadly fear of Cuba
- Fight like Che Guevara’s guerrillas, or just desert? How will the Venezuelan military respond if US Army invades their country?
While Trump critics claim that his actions, including the deadly boat strikes, violate the US Constitution and human rights, the President has yet to provide the public with a reason for sending Americans into action.
Many believe the war cry is just a psychological pressure campaign to force Maduro to step down or to encourage officials or generals to topple him.