The United States has dramatically increased its naval presence off the coast of Venezuela, raising questions about Washington’s next move.
With the arrival of the guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) in Panama, at least 10 U.S. Navy warships are now stationed in the Southern Command’s area of responsibility — representing around 13% of all currently deployed American naval forces.
The show of force appears designed to reinforce President Trump’s warnings against the Venezuelan regime, signaling that Washington may be prepared to escalate pressure.
While it remains unclear whether this fleet buildup will translate into direct action against President Maduro’s government, history shows that “gunboat diplomacy” has long been a tool to force adversaries into concessions without firing a shot.