Why Trump Is Flexing US Power In Waters Off Venezuela, Colombia

President Donald Trump is using dramatic military deployments and strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels to pressure Venezuela and Colombia under the banner of a regional anti-narcotics campaign.

The deployment of warships, aircraft and troops to the southern Caribbean represents the biggest US naval mobilization in Latin America since the invasion of Panama in 1989. Meanwhile, the strikes on boats near the two countries have earned sharp condemnation from human rights organizations and international legal experts.