Berliner Tageblatt - Venezuela claims CIA 'false flag' attack foiled, as US deploys bombers

Venezuelan authorities said they uncovered an operation targeting the USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer which docked Sunday in Trinidad -- within firing distance of the Venezuelan mainland.

The Pentagon has so far deployed seven warships to the Caribbean and one to the Gulf of Mexico, ostensibly for anti-drug operations.

President Donald Trump has also announced the imminent arrival of the USS Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, and its accompanying fleet.

Venezuela and some observers believe Trump's administration is using the military deployments to build pressure on the government and depose Nicolas Maduro, whom Washington does not recognize as the legitimate president.

"At least four suspects were arrested," Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said. Caracas claimed the dismantled cell was "financed by the CIA" and planned to attack the destroyer and frame Venezuela.

No further details of the alleged suspects were offered. Venezuela regularly claims to have arrested US-backed mercenaries working to destabilize Maduro's administration.

Alongside his naval buildup, Trump recently confirmed authorizing CIA operations in Venezuela and considering ground strikes.

Since September, US forces have destroyed at least 10 boats they said carried narcotics, killing 43 people in international waters.

Experts question the legality of the deadly attacks, and Washington has offered no proof other than aerial videos of the strikes to link the vessels to trafficking.

The USS Gravely's arrival Sunday sparked outrage in Caracas, which called it a "provocation" and claimed it was "aimed at provoking a war in the Caribbean."

- B-1 Bombers -

Tensions rose further Monday as two US B-1B bombers flew over the Caribbean near Venezuela, the third such show of force in recent weeks.

Data from tracking website Flightradar24 showed the two bombers -- which took off from a base in the northern US state of North Dakota -- flying parallel to the Venezuelan coast before disappearing from view.

Earlier missions included a B-1B sortie last week and a B-52 flight earlier this month, signaling Washington's readiness to escalate pressure on Maduro's government.

Washington and Caracas have for years been at loggerheads, with the United States rejecting Maduro's election victories in 2018 and 2024 as fraudulent.

Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez urged suspending gas deals with Trinidad in retaliation to Washington's pressure, raising the cost of the crisis for the United States and its ally.

Trinidadian Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar rejected what she called Venezuelan "blackmail," telling AFP her country remains committed to security and energy cooperation.

Washington recently cleared Trinidad and Tobago to exploit the Dragon gas field in Venezuelan waters despite a US oil embargo, deepening friction between the neighbors.

Maduro, who denies US allegations he leads a drug-trafficking network, accused Washington of "fabricating a war" for political purposes.

burs/arb/des

S.Keller--BTB