US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the US Army is ready for a regime change operation in Venezuela.
On Fox News, he emphasized that the White House has all the resources to implement the plan if President Donald Trump makes the appropriate decision. This was reported by The Moscow Times.
Hegseth called Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro “the head of a drug trafficking regime.” According to him, Maduro is involved in international drug trafficking, which “directly threatens the American people.”
The United States announced a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.
The day before, the US military sank a ship in the southern Caribbean Sea. According to Washington, it was transporting drugs from Venezuela.
According to Trump, there were militants from the Tren de Aragua group on board. This group acts in the interests of Maduro and is involved in drug trafficking. The strike killed 11 people.
The operation was part of a broader military campaign. At the end of August, Trump ordered a strike group to the region: a missile cruiser, three destroyers, a submarine, and amphibious assault ships. The total number of troops is more than 4,500. The official goal is to fight drug cartels.
