PANAMA CITY (BN24) — A U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser, the USS Lake Erie, passed through the Panama Canal Friday night, entering the Caribbean Sea after traveling from the Pacific Ocean. The ship’s movement is part of a broader U.S. military strategy to increase its presence near Venezuela’s coastline amid ongoing political and military tensions.
The 567-foot vessel, which displaces 9,800 tons, entered one of the canal’s locks around 9:30 p.m. local time, AFP reporters observed. The ship had been docked for two days at the Port of Rodman near the Pacific entrance of the canal before continuing its journey east toward the Atlantic Ocean.
The U.S. government has framed this naval deployment as part of an anti-drug trafficking operation in the Caribbean, a region that is home to significant drug smuggling routes. The U.S. has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a drug cartel, offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture.
“I didn’t know the ship was going to pass… I was surprised,” said Alfredo Cedeno, a health technician who photographed the cruiser as it moved through the canal.
In response, Venezuela has mobilized 15,000 security personnel along its border with Colombia and increased patrols of its territorial waters with drones and naval ships. President Maduro has also claimed to have activated over four million militia members in what he called preparation for potential U.S. aggression.
While U.S. officials have emphasized that the operation is focused on countering drug trafficking, the timing of the USS Lake Erie’s movements has added to already heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas. The U.S. has made no public statements about military intervention in Venezuela, but experts suggest the presence of the warship serves as a demonstration of American naval power in the region.
The USS Lake Erie, based in San Diego, is one of several U.S. warships now positioned near Venezuela. This deployment is seen as an effort to reinforce Washington’s stance on drug trafficking and to test Venezuela’s military readiness in response to the U.S. presence.
