US military build-up in Caribbean has shadows of the past - but differences are stark

The current US military buildup in the Caribbean surrounding Venezuela represents the largest deployment in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama, when the US removed President Manuel Noriega from power on drug-trafficking charges. While both situations involve escalating tensions between Washington and a Latin American leader accused of narco-trafficking, significant differences exist in the evidence and legal frameworks being applied. The Trump administration claims Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro heads a criminal organization called the Cartel of the Suns and has justified military strikes on alleged drug vessels as part of a "non-international armed conflict," though questions persist about the legality of these actions and the strength of evidence linking Maduro directly to drug trafficking.