US concentrates 16,000 soldiers off Venezuela, signs of going beyond anti-drug scope

On the afternoon of November 1, local time, the Russian Federation's RT channel cited information published in the Washington Post newspaper saying that the US is deploying a large-scale military force to the area near Venezuela, including about 10,000 army soldiers and 6,000 navy sailors.

This move is seen as a sign that Washington may be preparing to expand military activities in the region.

The US has repeatedly accused Venezuela of supporting “drug-terrorist organizations” and imposed a series of severe sanctions on the South American country.

Since September, the US has destroyed at least 14 ships in the Caribbean, claiming they were used by drug gangs, killing more than 61 people, according to the British news agency Reuters.

For his part, President Maduro has denied drug trafficking allegations and vowed to defend the country in the event of an invasion. Last week, Mr. Maduro accused the United States of “fabricating a new war” and called for peace amid a growing US military presence in the region.

According to the Washington Post, there are currently eight US Navy warships, one special task force ship, and one nuclear-powered attack submarine present in the Caribbean Sea.

Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is expected to arrive in the region next week, bringing three more escort ships and more than 4,000 service members.

In addition, according to satellite images cited by the newspaper, F-35 stealth fighters have also been deployed at a US air base in Puerto Rico.

According to Mr. Ryan Berg, Director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the appearance of this aircraft carrier group shows that Washington's plan may go beyond the scope of an anti-drug campaign.

Mr. Berg said that President Donald Trump only has about a month to make “a big decision” before the aircraft carrier group needs to be transferred to another area.

Several media outlets have also recently reported that the White House is considering military action in Venezuela.

Senator Rick Scott told CBS on November 1 that, “my days in officeMr. Maduro's countdown is on.

The Washington Post also said on October 30 that Washington has identified a number of potential targets, including military facilities accused of being used for drug trafficking.

However, US President Donald Trump has denied that he plans to launch attacks on Venezuela.

When asked about these reports aboard Air Force One on October 31, US President Donald Trump replied: “No. That is not true.”

However, last month, President Trump confirmed that he allowed the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct secret, lethal operations in the region.

Regarding the US campaign against drug gangs, the French news agency AFP reported that on October 31, the United Nations called on the US to end attacks on ships suspected of carrying drug criminals in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, warning that these incidents could constitute "unlawful killings".

“These attacks – with their increasing human toll – are unacceptable,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. “The United States must end such actions and take all necessary measures to prevent the extrajudicial killing of those on board these vessels, regardless of the alleged crimes.”

Mr. Turk stressed that the above attacks violated international human rights law, and said he had raised the issue directly with US officials through diplomatic channels.