US Warships Pass Through Panama Canal Toward Southern Caribbean

The deployment puts U.S. warships a short distance off Venezuela’s northern coastline, following years of strained relations between the nations.

The U.S. Navy warship USS Lake Erie (CG 70) docks at the Port of Balboa in Panama City on Aug. 29, 2025. Mauricio Valenzuela/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. warships were seen entering the Panama Canal while navigating east toward the Atlantic, according to photos taken on Aug. 30.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Aug. 19 that President Donald Trump was “prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into [the United States] and to bring those responsible to justice.”