WASHINGTON, October 3. /TASS/. US troops stationed in Puerto Rico are ready to launch an operation to seize territory in Venezuela as part of the fight against drug trafficking and amid accusations by US President Donald Trump of ineffective counteraction against drug cartels, the Washington Examiner newspaper reported, citing military analysts.

Experts say that the forces assembled are now sufficient to capture and hold key strategic targets, such as ports and airfields in Venezuela. The newspaper emphasized that the Pentagon is not particularly hiding its preparations for these potential operations. The Washington Examiner noted that, according to a report from the US War Department in late August, drills off the coast of the Virgin Islands included a landing operation and the seizure of an airfield.

Earlier, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto strongly protested the intrusion of US warplanes into the country’s airspace. The top diplomat called such actions a provocation that threatens national sovereignty and violates international law.

On September 5, Trump assured that Washington was not considering overthrowing the government in Caracas. On September 2, he reported that the US armed forces had killed 11 members of a Venezuelan drug cartel during an operation in international waters. According to Trump, Venezuela is not doing enough to combat drug trafficking. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed the opinion that the country is facing its most serious threat of US invasion in 100 years.