The US Department of Defense has begun preparations to deploy military vessels and aircraft to the southern Caribbean Sea as part of an effort to combat drug trafficking organizations operating in South America.

The move will bring a military presence right off the coast of Venezuela, where socialist President Nicolas Maduro's "De los Soles" cartel operates.

The decision comes a week after US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the US is doubling the amount it is offering for information leading to the capture of Nicolas Maduro from $25 million to $50 million.