Tensions in the Caribbean have reached a fever pitch as Venezuela accused the United States of waging what it calls an "undeclared war" in the region, following a series of deadly U.S. military strikes on boats allegedly involved in drug trafficking. The Venezuelan government, led by President Nicolas Maduro, has called for an urgent United Nations investigation into the American military actions, which have reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 17 people over the past several weeks. The U.S., meanwhile, insists its operations are part of a broader anti-drug campaign, but has provided scant evidence to support its claims that the targeted vessels were indeed trafficking narcotics.
On Friday, September 19, 2025, Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez publicly condemned the U.S. actions during a military exercise held in response to what Caracas describes as an escalating threat from Washington. As reported by AFP, Padrino Lopez declared, "It is an undeclared war, and you can already see how people, whether or not they are drug traffickers, have been executed in the Caribbean Sea. Executed without the right to a defense." His comments came just hours before then-U.S. President Donald Trump announced another strike on a boat, claiming three more alleged "narcoterrorists" were killed. This brought the total number of deaths from such operations in recent weeks to 17, though Trump did not specify the exact date of the latest attack, only noting it occurred within the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility—a region that spans Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean.
The legal and ethical implications of these strikes have sparked heated debate, both within Venezuela and internationally. Under U.S. law, drug trafficking is not a capital offense, and critics have questioned the legitimacy of what they describe as extrajudicial killings. Washington has not released detailed proof that the boats it targeted were actually involved in drug smuggling, fueling further controversy. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab went so far as to accuse the U.S. of committing crimes against humanity, stating, "The use of missiles and nuclear weapons to murder defenseless fishermen on a small boat are crimes against humanity that must be investigated by the UN."
Adding to the sense of crisis, this U.S. naval deployment is the largest seen in the Caribbean in decades. According to multiple news agencies, including AFP and Reuters, the flotilla includes seven warships and a nuclear-powered submarine stationed in international waters off Venezuela’s coast, supported by F-35 fighter jets based in Puerto Rico. The show of force has led to mounting fears in Caracas that the United States may be preparing for a direct attack on Venezuelan territory.
In a direct response to the perceived threat, Venezuela launched three days of military exercises on its Caribbean island of La Orchila starting Wednesday, September 17, 2025. La Orchila, notably, is situated near the area where a Venezuelan fishing vessel was intercepted and held by U.S. forces for eight hours the previous weekend, an incident that has only heightened suspicions and animosity.
President Nicolas Maduro, whose government the U.S. does not recognize as legitimate and accuses of running a drug cartel, has taken a combative stance. On Thursday, September 18, 2025, Maduro urged Venezuelans to join militia training to "defend the homeland," and announced that troops would begin providing weapons training to residents of low-income neighborhoods. Maduro faces a $50 million bounty from the U.S. on drug trafficking charges—charges he vehemently denies and attributes to a broader campaign by Washington to destabilize his regime.
Maduro has repeatedly accused the Trump administration of plotting an invasion under the guise of anti-drug operations. He charged that the U.S. is pursuing "an imperial plan for regime change and to impose a U.S. puppet government... to come and steal our oil." He has vowed that Caracas will exercise its "legitimate right to defend itself" against what he views as U.S. aggression, and has called on citizens to prepare for any eventuality.
Opposition voices within Venezuela, however, are not united in support of U.S. military intervention. Henrique Capriles, a two-time presidential candidate and prominent critic of Maduro, made his position clear on Friday. "I continue to believe that the solution is not military, but political," Capriles said, as reported by AFP. He argued that Trump’s actions were "entrenching those in power" and called for the release of nearly a thousand political dissidents currently detained by Maduro’s government. Capriles also urged the Venezuelan authorities to demonstrate goodwill in their foreign relations, signaling a desire for diplomatic, rather than military, solutions to the country’s ongoing crisis.
Foreign Minister Yvan Gil added his voice to the chorus of Venezuelan officials calling for international intervention, urging the UN Security Council "to demand the immediate halt of U.S. military actions in the Caribbean Sea." Gil’s appeal underscores the Venezuelan government’s strategy of seeking global support against what it characterizes as unilateral and unlawful American aggression.
The U.S., for its part, has largely shrugged off concerns about the legality of its operations. President Trump has maintained that the strikes are a necessary part of the war on drug trafficking, dismissing questions about the legitimacy of targeting boats in international waters. According to The Associated Press, Trump said that U.S. forces "knocked off" three boats crossing the Caribbean, but provided details and video evidence for only two of the incidents, leaving the circumstances of several deaths unclear.
Meanwhile, the broader international community has watched the escalation with a mix of alarm and caution. The scale of the U.S. military deployment, combined with the lack of transparent evidence regarding the alleged drug trafficking, has left many observers uneasy about the prospect of a wider conflict breaking out in the region.
For ordinary Venezuelans, the situation is fraught with uncertainty. The government’s calls for militia training and weapons instruction in poor neighborhoods have added a new layer of anxiety to daily life. Many fear that the standoff in the Caribbean could spiral into open hostilities, with devastating consequences for an already beleaguered nation.
As the rhetoric intensifies and military maneuvers continue on both sides, the world waits to see whether diplomacy or force will ultimately decide the fate of Venezuela and its neighbors. For now, the Caribbean remains a flashpoint—one where the stakes, for all involved, could not be higher.