The U.S. deployment of its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and other major naval assets near Venezuela has sparked international concern and speculation that Washington may be preparing for military action rather than conducting a genuine counter-narcotics mission.Analysts, including Alexander Mercouris, argue that the U.S. justification — disrupting drug trafficking — is implausible given the scale of the military buildup, which includes about 14% of the U.S. Navy fleet, submarines, missile destroyers, and amphibious groups. European observers broadly view the deployment as potential preparation for a strike or regime change operation against Venezuela.The discussion highlights several possible motives:Oil interests: Venezuela’s vast oil reserves have long been a U.S. strategic concern.Geopolitics: The U.S. wants to prevent Venezuela from aligning with China, Russia, or BRICS nations.“Unfinished business”: Some in Washington still resent the failure of the 2019 coup attempt against President Nicolás Maduro.Domestic politics: The Trump administration may see a quick military victory as politically beneficial.Personal animus: Trump reportedly dislikes Maduro for surviving previous U.S. attempts to unseat him.Maduro had recently offered diplomatic and economic concessions, including oil deals favorable to the U.S., but Trump rejected them — possibly due to pride or a belief that Maduro’s government is weak and vulnerable.The Pentagon’s public explanation, that the mission targets “narcotics trafficking,” is widely dismissed as implausible since such overwhelming firepower far exceeds what’s required for drug interdiction. Critics argue this narrative is a legal and political cover for aggression against a country that poses no military threat to the U.S.
Credit to : Daniel Davis / Deep Dive