Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced the deployment of military and militia forces to 284 locations across the country in response to rising tensions with the United States after a U.S. strike killed 11 people on a vessel accused of drug trafficking. The Trump administration alleged the boat was smuggling drugs for a gang tied to Maduro, but no evidence has been presented, and Venezuelan officials say the victims were not traffickers.
Guest host Misty Winston points out that the U.S. is using unsubstantiated drug-trafficking claims to justify aggression and destabilize Maduro’s government, with figures like Senator Marco Rubio long advocating regime change. Analysts warn that such actions risk escalating into conflict while offering little long-term disruption to the drug trade.