Deploy 10 Stealth Fighter Jets To The Caribbean, Trump Banks Efforts To Change The Maduro Regime In Venezuela

JAKARTA - President of the United States (US) Donald Trump ensured that his party was not discussing a regime change in Venezuela, while the United States added 10 stealth fighter jets to strengthen the military in the Caribbean.

"We're not talking about that, but we're talking about the fact that you've held a very strange, subtle election," Trump said, referring to the disputed 2024 elections, which President Nicolas Maduro won, as reported by Reuters on Saturday, September 6.

Trump was asked by reporters about the claims Maduro made this week about the United States seeking "change of the regime through military threats."

"The United States government must stop its plans to make changes to the regime with violence in Venezuela and across Latin America and respect sovereignty, the right to peace and independence," Maduro said on state television.

"I respect Trump. Whatever difference we have cannot lead to a military conflict," continued Maduro. "Venezuela is always willing to have a dialogue," he said.

Trump showed his new approach in fighting the drug war with a US military attack on Tuesday that killed 11 people and sank a ship from Venezuela that Trump said was transporting illegal narcotics.

The US president is considering options for further attacks, including a possible strike on a target suspected of being a drug cartel in Venezuela, CNN reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the government's plans. Such an attack would mark a major escalation.

The White House, Pentagon, and State Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report.

The Trump administration ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico airfield to carry out operations against drug cartels, sources told Reuters on Friday.

The new deployment is an addition to the intense presence of the US military in the southern Caribbean as Trump carries out his campaign promise to crack down on groups that distribute drugs to the United States.

The disclosure of the F-35 comes just hours after the Pentagon accused Venezuela of carrying out "very provocative" flights on Thursday by fighter jets near US Navy warships.

Trump warned Venezuela the US military had the authority to shoot down the fighter jets if the commanders felt necessary.

"If they put us in a dangerous position, they will be shot down," he continued.

At every opportunity, the Trump administration has always tried to link the Maduro government to narcotics trafficking, a charge Carakas denies.

In particular, Trump accused Maduro of leading the Tren de Aragua gang, which his government was designated a terrorist organization in February.

Maduro denies any connection with Trend de Aragua, which its government says has been deactivated in Venezuela due to a prison raid in 2023.

Trump on Friday compared the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans from overdosed with war victims, as he tried to justify large military activities in the Caribbean.

"Imagine if you're at war and lose 300,000 people. We're not going to let that happen," he said.