Wp, US aircraft carrier Gerald Ford arriving in the Caribbean

Tension in the waters of the Caribbean opposite Venezuela is set to rise: the US is sending the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, which is also due to arrive next week, as reported by the Washington Post, explaining that the aircraft carrier is accompanied by three other warships, with a total of 4,000 military personnel on board.

On 31 December, the administration of Donald Trump identified targets to be hit in Venezuela, including military facilities used for drug smuggling, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources that a final decision has not yet been made. The possible US air campaign would focus on targets that link drug cartels and the regime of Nicolas Maduro. Potential targets include ports and airports controlled by the military and used for drug transportation, but also ships.

Trump said he was not considering attacks inside Venezuela, thus debunking Wall Street Journal rumours. When asked if he was considering such action, the president replied: 'No'.

President Maduro meanwhile wrote a letter to Vladimir Putin asking him for help against the US raids in the Caribbean. Caracas sources told the Washington Post that the Venezuelan had also contacted China and Iran. Maduro called for military assistance and equipment to strengthen the country's defences.

The campaign, which has so far been limited to operations against vessels suspected of transporting drugs, is moving towards a significant escalation. However, experts quoted by the Wall Street Journal note, fentanyl is produced in Mexico with precursor chemicals from China, and there is no evidence that Venezuela is involved in the production or trafficking of this synthetic substance. The South American country remains a transit route for Colombian cocaine, however, and several senior Venezuelan civilian and military officials have been accused by US prosecutors of drug smuggling.