A US Guided-Micile Cruiser, USS Lake Eri, was seen crossing the Panama Canal from Prashant to Caribbean on Friday night after the Trump administration. Warship Near the coast of Venezuela.
AFP journalists saw the Navy ship passing through one of the canal locks and navigated towards Atlantic at around 9:30 pm.
The United States has stated that the deployment of warships in the southern Caribbean near the regional water of Venezuela was an operation of anti -drug trafficking.
32 -year -old health technician Alfredo Sedeno, who was taking pictures of the cruiser, “I didn’t know the ship was going to pass … I was surprised.”
Martin Bernty/AFP through Getty Image 
Lake Eri was placed at the Pacific entrance of the canal at Rhodman’s port for the last two days.
Washington has accused Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug cartel and Doubled the bounty To capture $ 50 million.
However, the US has not made any public threat to attack Venezuela.
Karakas on Monday announced the deployment of 15,000 security forces on the Colombian border for drug anti-trafficking operations.
A day later, Venezuela announced that he would patrol with his regional water Drone and naval ship,
Maduro also claimed that in response to what he had said. “Outlandish threats” Thousands of US civil servants, housewives and retired people Scorch To join the militia of the country in the last weekend in the capital of Venezuela.
Since returning to power in January, the attacks by President Trump on Venezuela have mainly focused on their powerful gangs, some of which work inside the United States. But their policy Maximum pressure on VenezuelaStill, including an oil ambargo, failed to dislike Maduro from power. Last year, We seized an aircraft Related to Maduro and brought it to America
On Thursday, Maduro said that “there was no way” American soldiers could attack Venezuela, when Washington deployed warships in the region.
The 567 -foot -tall USS lake Eri displaces 9,800 tonnes and is located in the port of San Diego, California.
Trump Targeting Cartel in Latin America
President Trump directed Pentagon To use military force Understand terrorist organizations against Latin American drug cartans, a source familiar with CBS News earlier this month. It is not clear whether or when the army can take action.
For its share, Mexico insisted that it would “not accept the participation of American military forces in our region.” Earlier this month, Mexican President Claudia Shinbaum Insisted There, “Mexico will not have an attack.”
In February, Trump Administration Nominated Eight drug trafficking group as terrorist organizations. There are six mexicans, one is Venezuela, and the eighth is originated in Al Salvador.
State Secretary Marco Rubio said that earlier this month the administration could use the designations for the “target” cartel.
“This allows us to target what they are working and American power, intelligence agencies, other elements of the Department of Defense, whatever … to target these groups if we have the opportunity to do it,” Rubio said. “We have to start behaving them as armed terrorist organizations, not only as drug dealing outfits.”
