The US missile cruiser USS Lake Erie was sent through the Panama Canal from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea on Friday evening after the administration of US President Donald Trump deployed warships near the coast of Venezuela. This was reported by UNN with reference to AFP.
Details
"The American missile cruiser USS Lake Erie was spotted crossing the Panama Canal from the Pacific Ocean into the Caribbean Sea on Friday evening after the Trump administration deployed warships off the coast of Venezuela," AFP reports.
It is reported that AFP journalists saw the warship passing through one of the canal's locks around 9:30 PM (02:30 GMT on Saturday) and moving east towards the Atlantic.
As noted, the United States stated that the deployment of warships in the southern Caribbean, near Venezuela's territorial waters, was an operation to combat drug trafficking.
Washington accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug cartel and doubled the reward for his capture to $50 million.
However, the United States has not publicly threatened an invasion of Venezuela.
On Monday, Caracas announced the deployment of 15,000 security forces to the Colombian border to conduct anti-drug trafficking operations.
A day later, Venezuela announced that it would patrol its territorial waters with drones and naval vessels.
On August 19, it was reported that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced plans to mobilize 4.5 million militiamen across the country to counter possible US intervention.
Addition
Earlier, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum in which the main task of the American military was defined as "homeland defense," including "strengthening borders, countering illegal migration, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and deporting illegal migrants."