US Warships Positioned Off Venezuelan Coast

The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely and the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima have taken up positions in the Caribbean Sea from which it is possible to launch strikes on Venezuelan territory. Newsweek reports this, citing satellite images.

Previously, these ships were moving west of Grenada, where they had been spotted earlier. They are now located about 200 km from the Venezuelan island of Orchila, where the country's air force bases and radars are located.

The increase in U.S. military presence in the Caribbean comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas. The U.S. administration insists that these actions are aimed at combating drug cartels in the region, but Venezuelan authorities describe them as a provocation.