INFOGRAPHIC: how the US surrounded Venezuela in an operation that threatens the Maduro government

Trump x Maduro: Venezuela carries out military exercises and calls for ‘maximum preparation for armed struggle’ after the arrival of US aircraft carriers The United States Department of War announced this Thursday (13) the launch of a military operation to combat “narco-terrorists”, probably in South America and the Caribbean. The announcement comes amid the siege that the US military mounted in the region against Venezuela. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp ▶️ Context: Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, informed that the action was called “Spear of the South” and will be conducted by military personnel from the Southern Military Command, responsible for operations in the Caribbean and South America. According to Hegseth, the mission aims to defend the United States from drugs and eliminate narco-terrorists. He did not specify the location of the action. It is not yet clear whether the “Lança do Sul” is a new operation or the continuation of an action already underway. In January, Southern Command had announced a mission with the same name. President Donald Trump has justified the offensives in the region by stating that each vessel bombed “represents 25,000 American lives saved”. On Wednesday (12), according to CBS News, the president received options for military action against Venezuela. In October, Trump admitted that he intends to carry out ground attacks against drug cartels, without specifying which countries would be targeted. “Well, I don’t think we’re necessarily going to call for a declaration of war. I think we’re just going to kill the people who are bringing drugs into our country. Okay? Let’s kill them,” the president said. 🔴 At the end of August, the US sent warships to the Caribbean Sea, as well as a nuclear submarine. Afterwards, fighter jets were moved to Puerto Rico, a North American territory in the region. The military movement began shortly after the US doubled the reward to US$50 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The Venezuelan is accused by the American government of leading the Cartel de los Soles, a group recently classified as an international terrorist organization. In this context, the US may consider Maduro a legitimate target when announcing military attacks against cartels. White House officials told the American press, on condition of anonymity, that they believe the ultimate objective of the operation would be to remove Maduro from power. In October, American bombers were identified flying over the Venezuelan Flight Information Region — an area very close to Venezuelan territory. Military helicopters from the elite “Night Stalkers” unit were also spotted in the region. In 2011, the group played an important role in the action that killed terrorist Osama Bin Laden. Alongside this siege are military bases that the US maintains in the region, as well as cooperative security structures installed at airports in partner countries — two of which are less than 100 km from the Venezuelan coast. 👉 See the location of American military bases in the Caribbean and Central America in the infographic below, as well as recent movements of US forces in the region. Maps show US siege against Venezuela Dhara Assis/Arte g1 According to Chancellor Mauro Vieira, President Lula should express “regional solidarity” with Venezuela during the summit meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and the European Union (EU), this Sunday (9). In a meeting with Trump in October, Lula had already offered to be an interlocutor in the dialogue between the US and Venezuela. Boat is bombed by the US in the Pacific Ocean War Department B-52: the ‘backbone’ On October 15, three B-52 bombers made a flight in a region very close to Venezuela. The aircraft flew over the so-called “FIR” — an acronym in English for Flight Information Region. This area is outside Venezuelan territory, but is under the country’s jurisdiction. Therefore, planes need to identify themselves to the control of Venezuela’s airspace. The B-52 is a model manufactured by Boeing, capable of carrying out nuclear attacks. The plane carries high-precision weapons and can fly more than 14,000 kilometers without refueling. It is considered the backbone of the US strategic bomber fleet. 👉 Check out details of the B-52 below. See technical sheet of the United States Air Force B-52 bomber. Art team/g1 At the time of the overflight, in an interview with g1, Maurício Santoro, PhD in Political Science from Iuperj and collaborator at the Center for Political-Strategic Studies of the Brazilian Navy, said that the maneuver represented an attempt by the USA to show that they are very close to Venezuela. “It’s a political provocation, to say: ‘look, I have the capacity to invade your airspace’. But it also has a military objective, to train the crews. I mean, this is a general rehearsal for future bombings and a test of Venezuelan air defenses”, he assessed. Giant warships and aircraft carriers On October 24, the Trump administration announced the deployment of the USS Gerald Ford to the Caribbean Sea. Considered the largest aircraft carrier in the world, it left accompanied by its attack group, made up of three destroyers, squadrons of F-18 fighters and helicopters. The aircraft carrier has the capacity to house up to 90 aircraft, including fighters and helicopters. The vessel also has a landing and take-off runway that has an area three times larger than the Maracanã lawn. The last available update, on November 4, indicated that the aircraft carrier was leaving the Mediterranean Sea and entering the Atlantic Ocean. In a statement, the Pentagon stated that the strike group’s mission in the region is to “expand and strengthen existing capabilities to disrupt drug trafficking,” in addition to degrading and dismantling Latin American cartels. 👉 See details of the USS Gerald Ford below. Discover the USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world and the most advanced in the United States Navy. Gui Sousa/Arte g1 Still in August, the US had already ordered the sending of seven warships, in addition to a nuclear submarine. The fleet includes: Three destroyers: warships smaller than cruisers, but faster and more agile. Can be equipped with missiles. The USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham and the USS Sampson were sent. Two dock ships: used to transport Marines, vehicles and equipment, as well as support amphibious operations. The USS San Antonio and the USS Fort Lauderdale participate in the mission. A missile cruiser: designed for air and missile defense, with an advanced combat system. The model submitted is the USS Lake Erie. An amphibious assault ship: equipped to operate short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft and carry out landings with troops and vehicles. In the group is the USS Iwo Jima. A nuclear submarine: capable of attacking enemy ships and submarines, in addition to carrying out precision attacks on land, with torpedoes and missiles. The USS Newport News is part of the fleet. 👉 See the vessels sent by the US to the Caribbean in the infographic below. Vessels sent by the US to the Caribbean Dhara Assis/Arte g1 Aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, main ship of the USS Gerald Ford strike group of the United States Navy. Alyssa Joy/United States Navy VIDEOS: trending on g1 See the videos that are trending on g1

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