Another US Navy warship entered the Caribbean through the Panama Canal on Friday night, following Trump’s earlier deployment of warships near the Venezuelan coast.
Previously, Trump ordered the deployment of five US Navy warships close to Venezuela in a bid to curb the drug trafficking trade, which he claims is supported by President Maduro.
Reports indicate that the latest warship crossed the Panama Canal at around 9:30 pm, heading east towards the Atlantic.
According to the US State Department, citing a presidential order, the deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean, near Venezuela’s territorial waters, forms part of an anti-drug trafficking operation.
The USS Lake Erie had been stationed for two days at the Port of Rodman, near the canal’s Pacific entrance, before resuming its voyage.
Meanwhile, Washington’s decision to deploy a sixth warship near Venezuelan shores has raised concern in Caracas, where officials fear a possible US military intervention.
Also Read : Venezuela deploys 15,000 troops to Colombian border
The US has accused the Venezuelan president of backing drug cartels and has doubled the bounty for his capture to $50 million.
While Caracas has threatened to mobilise millions of militia members in the event of US intervention, Washington has made no public threat to invade the country.
However, Maduro and his allies remain wary of recent developments in the Middle East, where the United States launched a surprise attack on Iranian nuclear facilities on 22 June.
In response to the rising tensions, Caracas announced on Monday the deployment of 15,000 security personnel to the Colombian border as part of its own anti-drug trafficking operations.
The USS Lake Erie, which is 567 feet (173 metres) long and displaces 9,800 tonnes, is based at the port of San Diego, California.
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