Commentary
With the United States poised to label Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro a drug lord in charge of a narco-terrorist cartel, the focus in the Caribbean has been drugs, drugs, and more drugs.
Viewpoints
Opinion
Drugs, Oil, and the Rise of Trump’s Monroe Doctrine to Counter China
US presence in the Caribbean is far beyond what is needed to deter drug operations, but it is exactly what is needed to protect Guyana from Venezuela.
People watch and take pictures of the USS Gravely, a US Navy warship, departing the Port of Port of Spain on Oct. 30, 2025. The US warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 26 for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images
Mike Fredenburg
Author
Mike Fredenburg writes on military technology and defense matters with an emphasis on defense reform. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and master’s degree in production operations management.
