According to The War Zone in the United States on September 2, President Trump announced that the US military conducted a kinetic strike on a Venezuelan drug smuggling ship in international waters of the southern Caribbean, resulting in 11 deaths.

The speedboat is alleged to be controlled by the "Aragua Train" organization in Venezuela, which was transporting a large amount of drugs to the United States.

This strike is the first real combat action since Trump deployed eight warships to the Caribbean Sea, marking the start of the US military's direct interception of ships from Venezuela using live ammunition.

Subsequently, Secretary of State Rubio confirmed that this strike operation has been classified as a "precision strike," targeting a "foreign terrorist organization."

Trump stated on social media that the attack occurred after the US military clearly identified the target and serves as a warning to all those attempting to smuggle drugs into the United States.

From the released video, the targeted vessel was a high-speed small boat that was destroyed by a missile while traveling at high speed on the open sea.

Although this operation did not affect Venezuela's mainland, it is obviously not just a warning to drug gangs, but also a political pressure on Maduro.

Trump

The pressure on Maduro by the US military did not start with this maritime strike, but rather is part of a multi-dimensional strategy that has been gradually escalating over the past few months.

Starting from early 2025, the US has successively announced several sanctions measures, including designating Venezuela's "Aragua Train" organization and the "Sun Legion" as foreign terrorist organizations and offering bounties for their core members.

At the same time, the Trump administration revoked investment licenses for American energy companies such as Chevron in Venezuela, completely blocking its oil export channels.

Diplomatically, the US has repeatedly clearly refused to recognize Maduro and called on Latin American countries to "refuse to associate with drug lord regimes."

Since August, the US Southern Command has deployed eight warships to the Caribbean, including missile destroyers, amphibious assault ships, electronic reconnaissance aircraft, and unmanned boats, forming a blockade-like operation.

Although the US claims the deployment is under the pretext of "anti-drug," the operational area is close to Venezuela's ports and sea lanes, including the action of destroying the vessel, which was carried out near Venezuela's territorial waters, making the pressure intentions obvious.

Maduro has called for the entire country to enter a state of readiness, mobilizing militia forces along the border to consolidate domestic support.

Photo of the scene

Then the question arises: Is the US really going to take action against Maduro?

From the current situation, the possibility of full-scale military intervention remains relatively low.

Firstly, the US's current actions are all justified under the name of "anti-drug," targeting drug trafficking organizations rather than the Venezuelan national institutions themselves. The US seeks international recognition through legal packaging.

Secondly, looking at the types of deployed forces, although the US currently has the capability to suppress, it has not yet deployed ground forces or special landing forces capable of driving a change in Venezuela, indicating that its goal is to surround without fighting.

Thirdly, the US still faces the cost of intervention: once entering the interior of Venezuela, it will face urban guerrilla warfare, heightened regional anti-American sentiment, and uncertain reactions from countries such as Russia and Iran.

Although Trump is known for being tough, he has long favored extreme pressure tactics rather than launching an invasion like Iraq.

Therefore, before any major miscalculations, the US is more likely to maintain a high-pressure posture rather than actually sending troops to overthrow Maduro.

But this does not mean that the pressure will not escalate; the US may expand maritime interdictions, block ports, or even conduct decapitation-style air strikes to force Maduro to compromise.

Maduro

In this situation, it has been reported that Venezuela is seeking to purchase J-10C fighter jets.

According to "Defense and Security Asia," Venezuela is actively evaluating the introduction of up to 20 J-10C multi-role fighters to replace its aging Russian Su-30MK2s.

Considering that Russia is unable to provide stable supplies due to the war and sanctions, Chinese fighter jets have become the most reliable option.

The J-10C is equipped with an AESA radar, PL-15 long-range missiles, digital avionics, and a helmet-mounted sighting system, representing a generational leap for the current Venezuelan Air Force.

However, the premise is that Venezuela can maintain political stability and avoid airspace封锁 or escalation of embargoes due to military conflicts.

In other words, if Venezuela can withstand the pressure now, purchasing the J-10C is still possible; if it cannot withstand, everything will be in vain.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7545699945425207823/

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