US Missile Cruiser Crosses Panama Canal, Joining Navy Buildup Near Venezuela.

US Missile Cruiser Crosses Panama Canal, Joining Navy Buildup Near Venezuela

A US guided missile cruiser was seen traversing the Panama Canal late Friday, heading for the Caribbean amid a significant deployment of American naval forces in waters close to Venezuela, as Washington intensifies anti-drug operations and political pressure on Caracas.

The USS Lake Erie, a US Navy guided missile cruiser, was observed moving from the Pacific Ocean into the Caribbean via the Panama Canal, with AFP journalists reporting the vessel passed through the canal’s locks.

The cruiser joins a growing American naval group in the southern Caribbean as part of operations declared by the US government to combat Latin American drug cartels, particularly those allegedly tied to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Recent weeks have seen the Trump administration double its bounty for the capture of Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of leading a drug trafficking network referred to as the “Cártel de los Soles.” US officials have confirmed that, alongside the Lake Erie, a group of seven warships including three Aegis class destroyers and a fast-attack submarine are arriving or already present in the region.

In response, Venezuela announced the mobilization of 15,000 security forces to its Colombian border and deployed navy ships and surveillance drones along its coastline. President Maduro has also claimed the activation of more than four million militia members, characterizing the US maneuvers as “threats” against Venezuelan sovereignty.

Despite heightened rhetoric, US officials, as reported by multiple sources, have not made any public threat to invade Venezuela, and the official purpose of the buildup remains anti-drug operations. The situation continues to fuel speculation and tension both inside Venezuela and across the broader Caribbean region.