Three Aegis guided-missile destroyers – USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson – have been sent to the waters off Venezuela as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to counter Latin American drug cartels. With about 4,000 sailors and Marines involved, this action directly supports counternarcotic operations against organizations like Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, which Trump identified as foreign terrorist organizations in February 2025. While the administration’s accusations include drug trafficking into the U.S. particularly fentanyl, along with migrant smuggling and border violence – it is noteworthy that in announcing the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in March 2025, a $50 million reward was offered for his capture by the U.S. for narcotrafficking. The Venezuelan government dismissed the accusations of narcotrafficking and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil labeled them as unfounded. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also rejected U.S. military intervention, emphasizing issues of sovereignty. The deployment will last for several months and demonstrates a continuation of Trump’s aggressive posture on cartels.
