President Nicolas Maduro stated on Wednesday that Venezuela possesses 5,000 Russian man-portable surface-to-air missiles to defend against US forces stationed in the Caribbean.
Washington has sent stealth warplanes and Navy vessels to the Caribbean as part of its so-called counter-narcotics operations, claiming to have destroyed at least eight ships allegedly involved in smuggling drugs from Venezuela to the United States.
Venezuela has condemned this deployment, labeling it a rehearsal for a potential operation aimed at removing Maduro, whom Washington accuses of leading a drug cartel.
During a televised event with high-ranking military officials, Maduro announced that Venezuela has Russian-made short-range missiles known as Igla-S – “no fewer than 5,000 positioned in critical air defense locations to maintain peace.”
The Igla-S, designed to target low-flying aircraft, has been utilized in military drills ordered by Maduro in response to US military actions, which have provoked outrage among leaders across much of Latin America.
The Pentagon has informed Congress that the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict” with Latin American drug cartels, classifying them as terrorist organizations and labeling suspected smugglers as “unlawful combatants.”
Experts assert that summary executions are unlawful, even when directed at confirmed traffickers.
Regional tensions have escalated, with Colombia recalling its ambassador to Washington amid a heated dispute between its leftist president Gustavo Petro and President Donald Trump.
Trump remarked on Wednesday that the US deployment has significantly reduced maritime trafficking and is ready to confront drug traffickers operating on land.
