What military force has the US positioned off Venezuela’s coast?

United States President Donald Trump’s campaign against “narcoterrorists” has transformed the Caribbean into a new battlefield.

Since August, Washington has deployed thousands of troops, warships and aircraft across the region, and reopened military bases in Puerto Rico and conducted drills, in what analysts describe as the largest US presence in Latin America in decades.

In September, the US began a series of strikes on Venezuelan boats it claims were trafficking drugs to the US, with the latest attack on Friday killing six people on board. Last week, Trump announced that he had authorised covert CIA operations in Venezuela and that he was even mulling a land attack.

However, on Thursday, Trump denied that all this amounts to a declaration of war on Venezuela.

“Well, I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,” he said.

“I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them,” Trump said.

How many Venezuelan boats has the US attacked?

The US military has carried out at least ten deadly strikes on vessels off Venezuela’s coast, and in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean since September 2, marking the most intense American military activity in Latin America since the US invasion of Panama in 1989.

The operations, conducted under the authority of the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), have killed at least 43 people, according to statements by Trump and senior defence officials.

The map below shows the approximate locations of at least six of these attacks, according to data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED). Most of these attacks occurred close to the Venezuelan coast and in international waters – raising questions about the legality of the US’s use of force, especially when no imminent threat was present.

What is SOUTHCOM?

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), headquartered in Doral, Florida, is one of 11 unified combatant commands of the US Department of War (renamed by Trump from the Department of Defense). It oversees operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including the defence of the Panama Canal.

The other 10 commands cover different regions or functions such as North America (NORTHCOM), Europe (EUCOM), Africa (AFRICOM), the Middle East (CENTCOM), and the Indo-Pacific (INDOPACOM), while others have global responsibilities like cyber operations (CYBERCOM), space (SPACECOM), nuclear deterrence (STRATCOM), strategic logistics (TRANSCOM) and Special Operations forces worldwide (SOCOM).

While SOUTHCOM’s current stated mission is to counter narcotics flows into the US, its growing presence near Venezuela has been interpreted as a sign of Trump’s strategic interest in the region.

What military assets have been deployed?

The military buildup is considerable and includes ready-to-deploy expeditionary forces, US naval and air assets, and special operations units.

Al Jazeera’s Defence Editor, Alex Gatopoulos, said, “It’s already the biggest build-up of US military assets in the region for decades. The present force is oriented for land attack and not for counter-narcotics operations.

Expeditionary forces

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) forms the expeditionary core of the US presence in the Caribbean. This group of Navy ships carrying marines, vehicles and helicopters, named after the famous World War II battle of Iwo Jima, is designed to land on a shore quickly, often in emergencies or combat situations.

Along with the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) and the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), the expeditionary force houses 4,500 sailors and marines, including 2,200 marines trained for amphibious assault and rapid reaction missions.

The group has also conducted live-fire drills on board the Iwo Jima and amphibious landing rehearsals off St Croix, the largest of the US Virgin Islands and a key training site for US forces.

Naval assets

The fleet is also reinforced with several naval assets. Late on Friday, the US announced it will send an aircraft carrier strike group to Latin America, in a major escalation of its military presence.

A spokesperson for the US military said that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald Ford and five destroyers in its accompanying strike group to deploy to the region.

As of September 25, SOUTHCOM’s task force includes 10 major warships and several support vessels, exceeding the number normally assigned to the region. Among them are four surface combatants and one submarine capable of carrying Tomahawk long-range missiles.

The destroyers, USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109), USS Stockdale (DDG-106) and USS Gravely (DDG-107), are multi-role warships armed with Tomahawk land-attack missiles as well as advanced anti-air and anti-submarine systems. All three were reportedly deployed to the Red Sea in 2024 to counter Houthi attacks in the region.

Alongside them, the USS Newport News (SSN-750), a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, provides capabilities for strikes, antiship and antisubmarine operations, as well as intelligence, reconnaissance and special operations.

There are also several noncombatant support ships, as well as the US Coast Guard.

Air assets

The air component deployed under SOUTHCOM includes some of the most advanced aircraft in the US Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.

Gatopoulos states that, added to the various deployments “have been the intimidation tactics of flying strategic bombers close to Venezuelan airspace… The B-52 is designed to destroy land-based targets, from some distance away, usually using long-range cruise missiles.”

These heavy bombers can fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (15,000 metres) and carry cruise missiles or nuclear-capable weapons. They also support naval operations by monitoring the ocean, targeting ships and laying mines.

“The B-1 strategic bomber is designed to penetrate enemy airspace to deliver 37 tonnes of ordnance onto its target. Neither jet is in any way useful for stopping drug-smuggling. This plus President Trump’s public announcement to the CIA to start operations within Venezuela tells me they have something very different in mind, namely to destabilise the Maduro government,” says Gatopoulos.

“The latest development, the ordering of the Gerald Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean further cements this idea. The Carrier group is immensely powerful, bringing with it 75+ fighter jets, helicopters and early warning aircraft. The USS Ford will be accompanied by three missile destroyers, each capable of attacking targets deep within Venezuela – a huge amount of firepower.”

There are also at least 10 F-35 stealth fighters – highly versatile jets which can strike, fight and gather intelligence while remaining hard to detect by radar.

MQ-9 Reaper drones are remotely piloted aircraft used for surveillance and precision strikes, with a range of 1,851km (1,150 miles) and speeds up to 370km/h (230mph). They can carry up to 16 Hellfire missiles, allowing them to strike multiple targets in a single mission.

CH-53E Super Stallions are heavy-lift helicopters that move troops and equipment from ship to shore. They can carry 16 tonnes of cargo 80km (50 miles) before returning to base.

Other air assets include P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, MH-60 Seahawk helicopters, AC-130J gunships, and various support and reconnaissance aircraft.

Special forces and troops

SOUTHCOM’s special operations component consists of MH-60 Black Hawks and AH-MH-6 Little Bird helicopters for troop insertion and reconnaissance. The MC Ocean Trader, which is part of the deployment, acts as a mobile forward base for these units.

About 10,000 troops have also been sent to the US territory of Puerto Rico, while the White House has authorised the CIA to carry out covert operations inside Venezuela.

How has Venezuela responded?

On September 4, two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over the USS Jason Dunham in what was seen as a highly provocative act, according to Washington. In response, the US deployed 10 F-35B fighters and two MQ-9 Reapers to Puerto Rico.

On September 17, Venezuela launched large-scale naval and air exercises, while President Nicolas Maduro ordered the mobilisation of the Bolivarian militia, a reserve force which is part of Venezuela’s armed forces, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), and called for millions of volunteers to defend the country’s sovereignty.

While President Trump insists that US operations in the Caribbean Sea are lawful counter-narcotics missions, Venezuelan officials regard them as an escalation in tensions and attacks on vessels as a violation of international law. It says there has been no evidence that targeted vessels have posed any imminent threat.