US will deploy air and naval forces to Southern Caribbean to target cartels

The United States is deploying air and naval forces to the Southern Caribbean Sea to address threats from Latin American drug cartels, according to Reuters, citing officials.

The assets will include several P-8 reconnaissance aircraft, at least one warship, and at least one attack submarine, with the deployment process expected to continue for several months, according to Reuters Pentagon correspondent Idrees Ali.

The move comes amid escalating actions by the Trump administration against Mexican cartels and against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Last week, the Justice and State Departments doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, citing his alleged role in drug trafficking and cooperation with groups such as Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa cartel, and the Cartel of the Suns.

U.S. authorities have linked recent seizures of cocaine and fentanyl shipments directly to Maduro and his associates.

On Wednesday, a Customs and Border Protection MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone, requested by the Mexican government, flew over areas of central Mexico controlled by the cartel ‘La Nueva Familia Michoacana.’

The drone flight came a day after the United States took custody of 26 inmates from Mexico, including leaders and operatives from cartels designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the U.S. Department of State.