The U.S. has been ramping up its military presence in the Caribbean in recent months, leading to the "blockade" of oil tankers that Trump declared late last week, in order to pressure the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to return assets "stolen" when the South American country nationalized its oil industry in the 1970s.
Trump administration officials insist Venezuela is at the center of a "narco-terrorist" network, a claim Maduro denies. Adding to regional tensions are U.S. strikes on vessels that have killed close to 100 people. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials have claimed, without providing evidence, that the victims were engaged in so-called "narco-terrorism."
