Thursday, October 23, 2025

Venezuela Puts Russian-Armed Military on Wartime Alert

The 10,000 U.S. troops now operating in the Caribbean were sent to interdict drug boats.

Posted by lamplighter at 02:31 PM | 11 COMMENTS | permalink

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With dozens of warships and planes, and thousands of U.S. troops newly deployed to the Caribbean Sea, President Trump has declared an "armed conflict" with drug trafficking groups he has designated international terrorists.

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-- The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) Oct 22, 2025 at 11:00 AM

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More from the article ...

... For American commanders, that means every operation and incident now happens under the threat of Venezuelan retaliation " a situation the current force is not ready to handle.
Russian Missiles and Air Defense Systems Pose Threat to U.S. Navy

Venezuela can't match U.S. firepower in a conventional fight. Its 123,000-member armed forces are allegedly plagued by maintenance problems, with analysts telling The Wall Street Journal the military is "in shambles." Their submarines and surface vessels are probably inoperable, according to experts quoted by Breaking Defense.

But Venezuela has spent billions on the weapons that could cause the most damage: Russian-built systems such as missiles and jets designed to interdict U.S. ships and aircraft. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-10-22 06:31 PM

SO... Vlad says, "hey, Trumpy, I need to sell billions more in jets and missiles to Venezuela. You need to attack them for me!"

I wondered what they were talking about on the phone so long.

Venezuela could be our Ukraine.

#2 | Posted by Corky at 2025-10-22 06:40 PM

@#2 ... Venezuela could be our Ukraine. ...

Interesting observation ...

#3 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-10-22 06:45 PM

Maybe they can hit Mar-a-Pedo with a missile. That would be cool.

#4 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2025-10-22 07:22 PM

Or maybe even Washington... they could charge Trump for the added Demolition work on the building!

#5 | Posted by Corky at 2025-10-22 07:30 PM

It'll all come down to their IADS and whatever fighter aricraft they have. Russian SAMs are quite capable. The rest won't stand up to American air power.

#6 | Posted by qcp at 2025-10-23 02:45 PM

Related ...

Pentagon orders major naval deployment to Caribbean and South American waters

... The U.S. military is sending an aircraft carrier to the waters off South America, in the latest escalation and buildup of military forces in the region, the Pentagon announced Friday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to deploy to U.S. Southern Command to "bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a social media post.

The USS Ford is currently deployed to the Mediterranean Sea along with three destroyers. It would likely take several days for the ships to make the journey to South America.

Deploying an aircraft carrier is a major escalation of military power in a region that has already seen an unusually large U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean Sea and the waters off Venezuela. ...


#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-10-24 01:36 PM

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to deploy to U.S. Southern Command to "bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors

Sounds like a practical use for a $13 Billion naval asset.

#8 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-10-24 09:13 PM

Eric is going to be really upset when his blow prices triple.

#9 | Posted by Corky at 2025-10-24 09:28 PM

@#8 ... Sounds like a practical use for a $13 Billion naval asset. ...

You noticed that also?

Then there's the apparently also the threatened land invasion of Venezuela by the Trump Dept of War.


#10 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-10-24 09:43 PM

You noticed that also?

I did. The US can hit Iran from South Dakota, but needs a carrier strike group to hit small boats off Venezuela?

Formidable small boats of course, what with being ably to make the 2,000 mile trip to Florida with their deadly cargo of Fentanyl, which is not made in Venezuela.

#11 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-10-24 09:57 PM

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