Venezuela has deployed more than 15,000 active-duty troops to its border with neighbouring Colombia to combat narcotics smuggling on Tuesday.
The move came following the arrival of two additional US warships in the southern Caribbean as part of an operation against Latin American drug cartels.
Venezuelan Prime Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed the deployment of these 15,000 troops on Monday to strengthen security in the Zulia and Táchira states, which share a border with Colombia.
“Here, we do fight drug trafficking; here, we do fight drug cartels on all fronts,” the minister said, while also announcing the seizure of 53 tonnes of drugs so far this year.
He said that enhanced security along the Colombian border to counter criminal gangs would involve the use of aircraft, drones and riverine patrols.
He also called on Colombian authorities to adopt similar measures to ensure “peace along the entire axis”.
The deployment followed the decision of the President of the United States to raise the bounty on the Venezuelan president to 50 million US dollars earlier this week.
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Trump accused Nicolás Maduro of running a drug cartel network, including the notorious “Cartel of the Suns” trafficking organisation, which Washington has designated as a terrorist group.
Maduro, in response, accused the United States of attempting to foment regime change in Venezuela. He also launched a nationwide campaign to enlist thousands of militia members to reinforce national security in the face of what he described as threats from Washington.
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