"Over the weeks through Christmas and New Year, the men and women of the United States military sat ready, patiently waiting for the right triggers to be met and the president to order us into action," General Dan Caine, the nation's highest-ranking military officer, told a news conference on Saturday morning. In recent months, thousands of US troops have deployed to the region, joining an aircraft carrier and dozens of warships in the largest military build-up in decades as Trump has accused Maduro of drug-trafficking and narco-terrorism, and blown up dozens of small boats accused of ferrying drugs through the region. "We woke up at around 01:55 to the roar of explosions and the hum of planes flying over Caracas," one witness, Daniela, told the BBC.
Published at: 2026-01-03 22:55:42
Still want to read the full version? Full article
