【By Observer Net, Qi Qian】
The US military has stationed a large number of troops in the Caribbean Sea. President Trump has repeatedly ordered to open fire and authorized the CIA to conduct operations in Venezuela.
Such a large-scale deployment, is the United States really only for "fighting drug trafficking"?
On October 27, Reuters exclusively reported that sources said the U.S. government had asked its personnel to sign confidentiality agreements related to missions in Latin America. The report believes that this news further triggered widespread doubts, worrying about an imminent U.S. invasion of Venezuela.
"This step is extremely unusual," the report said, American military officials have been asked to protect "national security secrets" from being disclosed, while members of Congress said they were kept in the dark, knowing nothing about the key details of the relevant missions.
Three anonymous officials said they did not know how many people were asked to sign the confidentiality agreement. They also did not provide further details.
On October 28, the "Secretary of War" Hagel announced on social media that the U.S. military conducted three strikes on four drug trafficking vessels located in the eastern Pacific on October 27, resulting in 14 deaths and one survivor. He mentioned that after the U.S. military attack, a rescue operation was launched, and Mexico ultimately took responsibility.
Bloomberg said that this was the largest military strike by the Trump administration against suspected drug trafficking vessels, and the location of this operation is close to Mexico, which may escalate tensions between the U.S. and Mexico. The BBC also said that this marks the escalation of the U.S. "drug war."
This kind of U.S. military strike action has been condemned by countries in the region. The BBC said that there are also opposition voices within the United States, and members of both parties in Congress have begun to question the legitimacy of Trump's authority to order attacks.
On the same day, Mexican President Sheinbaum responded, pointing out that the foreign minister and military officials are seeking to meet with the U.S. ambassador. She emphasized, "We hope international agreements are fulfilled, we do not approve of these attacks."
Screenshot of video released by Hagel
According to the report, since Hagel became Secretary of Defense (later renamed "Secretary of War") in January, the Pentagon has occasionally used confidentiality agreements, including taking a series of steps to control the flow of information. According to a memo dated October 15, he informed employees that they must obtain permission to interact with members of Congress. He also launched a leak investigation, requiring journalists stationed at the Pentagon to sign a new "media access policy."
However, the confidentiality agreements used by the Pentagon for activities in Latin America had not been reported before. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The report noted that on the evening of October 26, a senior Republican congressman closely associated with Trump, Lindsay Graham, stated on a television program that Trump would soon outline "future potential military actions against Venezuela and Colombia" to Congress.
Graham said that Trump has all the necessary authority to conduct operations in Latin America.
"These military assets are advancing, drugs are flowing into our country from Venezuela and Colombia," Graham then issued a threat, "so I hope (Venezuelan President) Maduro can leave peacefully, but I think he won't be here much longer."
According to a report by U.S. media on August 20, Trump decided to deploy a amphibious fleet near Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea under the pretext of "fighting drug gangs in Latin America." U.S. military media said that the U.S. had previously deployed several missile destroyers equipped with "Aegis" combat systems in this sea area and was adding the deployment of one missile cruiser and one attack nuclear submarine.
Bloomberg cited analysts at the time who said that Trump was not preparing for an invasion, and this show of force may aim to disrupt smuggling routes and prevent Maduro from arresting opposition figures. But this was already the largest military buildup by the U.S. in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
October 26, the U.S. destroyer "Gravely" arrived in Trinidad and Tobago. Oriental IC
But since early September, the U.S. military has continued to increase forces in the Caribbean Sea, deploying more than 10,000 soldiers, as well as aircraft carrier strike groups including missile destroyers, F-35 fighters, and nuclear submarines. Recently, the U.S. military also sent B-52 and B-1 bombers to patrol near Venezuela.
Experts analyze that the U.S. military strength has far exceeded the needs of "anti-drug" operations. The Pentagon has yet to explain why it has concentrated so many troops.
The report states that so far, the U.S. military has carried out at least 13 strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels, mainly in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in about 57 deaths. The Pentagon has revealed very little detail about the target individuals, but admitted that some came from Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Venezuela and Colombia have repeatedly denied the accusations, but recently, the actions of the Trump administration have become increasingly intense. On the 15th, Trump said that the U.S. has determined to consider conducting land-based operations to conduct ground strikes on drug gangs, and confirmed that it has authorized the CIA to conduct operations in Venezuela. Last week, the U.S. announced sanctions against Colombian President Petro.
The Maduro government accused the U.S. of intending to stage a regime change in Venezuela through military threats and to expand militarily in Latin America. On the 26th, the Venezuelan side condemned the U.S. for holding provocative military exercises and accused the CIA of attempting to create military conflicts through "false flag operations." The statement also mentioned that a team of "directly connected to the CIA" mercenaries had been arrested.
On September 15, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian pointed out that the U.S. actions threaten regional peace and security, seriously infringe upon the sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights and interests of other countries, and seriously violate international law. China has always supported strengthening international cooperation to promote the fight against transnational crimes, opposes the unilateral use of force, and opposes external forces interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs under any pretext. It urges the U.S. not to damage the navigation safety of various countries and the freedom and rights they enjoy according to international law under the name of fighting drug trafficking, affecting regional peace and stability.
On October 20, a UN expert group released a report condemning the U.S. intervention in Venezuela. The report said that the U.S. secret actions against the Venezuelan government and the use of armed threats violated the sovereignty of Venezuela and the UN Charter.
This article is an exclusive article of the Observer Network, and it is not allowed to be reprinted without permission.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566486701019841058/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author. Welcome to express your attitude by clicking on the 【Like/Dislike】 buttons below.