Regional Developments Amid Increased U.S. Military Activity in the Southern Caribbean

• Since August 14, 2025, the United States has deployed air and naval forces to the southern Caribbean, reportedly to counter drug trafficking. The operation has since become one of the region’s most significant U.S. military engagements in recent decades. By August 28, U.S. forces had positioned seven warships, a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, and approximately 4,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines, off the coast of Venezuela.
• Tensions escalated on September 1, when Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro characterised the U.S. presence as a threat to his government. The following day, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against a Venezuelan-flagged vessel suspected of transporting narcotics, resulting in 11 fatalities.
• By September 5, the U.S. reinforced its posture with the deployment of 10 F-35 aircraft to Puerto Rico, extending aerial coverage across the Caribbean. On the same day, Venezuelan F-16 jets flew near a U.S. Navy destroyer, which U.S. officials described as provocative. Media reports on September 6 indicated that U.S. officials were considering additional strikes against cartel operations within Venezuela, suggesting that the September 2 incident may not remain isolated.
• Regional responses have been mixed: Trinidad & Tobago’s Prime Minister expressed support for the U.S. operations, while officials from Barbados and CARICOM emphasised the need for transparency and improved regional diplomatic coordination.
• Venezuela announced increased troop deployments along Caribbean corridors, raising the risk of further escalations
• These developments take place against the backdrop of a long-standing territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela over the Essequibo region, covering roughly 160,000 km², rich in oil and gas resources.

(Source: oilnow)