The US’ ‘coercion strategy’ against Venezuela (heightened naval deployment in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean waters, deployment of F-35As and F-35Bs at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport, Puerto Rico, amphibious assault preparations), attack-sinking of narco-boats (nearly two dozen boats carrying drugs, including fentanyl and killing of nearly 100 people) that are now classified as “existential threat” because it is “flooding the United States with lethal drugs”, and naval blockade (interception of Venezuelan sanctioned oil tankers by the US Coast Guard under Operation Southern Spear) are proving successful. These are primarily meant to pressurize President Nicolás Maduro, whom President Donald Trump has accused of consuming/selling US oil to “finance themselves, drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder and kidnapping”.

Maduro has dismissed Trump’s allegations and stated that the US is attempting regime change and coercing him to step down for a number of reasons including political support for Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader, seize Venezuelan oil reserves, as also Caracas’ cordial relations with China, Russia, and Iran.

China is visibly concerned about the US politico-military pressures against Venezuela as well as disruption of its energy supplies from Venezuela being its largest importer. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian has rebuked the US’ “practice of arbitrarily seizing other countries’ vessels grossly violates international law,” noting that his country “always opposes illegal unilateral sanctions” that are not sanctioned by the United Nations”. He also called out Washington’s “unilateral bullying” and that such actions “violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter” and “infringe on the sovereignty and security of other countries,”

Similar sentiments have been expressed by Moscow, and Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned about “lawlessness in the Caribbean Sea” calling “illegal appropriation of property, such as piracy, raiding, and banditry” [by the US] are being practiced. Furthermore, Russia “firmly uphold[s] the position that Latin America and the Caribbean basin must remain zones of peace, as proclaimed in 2014,” Russia has counseled US President trump to “resolve the crisis” through "pragmatism and rationality”.

Furthermore, at the emergency UN Security Council meeting proposed by Venezuela and backed by Russia, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia alleged that the US had violated international law by proclaiming blockade and taken hold of tankers and labelled it as a “cowboy-like conduct”. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s in his meeting between Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has expressed “serious concern” over U.S. posturing in the Caribbean. Earlier, in September 2025, when tensions between US and Venezuela were heating up, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had categorically warned against the “use of coercive pressure on sovereign states as a tool of foreign policy” as also affirmed Moscow’s “solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership” and “full support for Caracas's efforts to protect national sovereignty."

On the face of it, the US – Venezuela tensions, as stated by President Trump, appear to be part of the US’ “coercion strategy” to curb drug trafficking. Trump Administration also believes that “ neither Russia nor China will offer Venezuela anything beyond rhetoric to counter any US aggression”. It merits attention that there is every likelihood that the US will keep Venezuela under heat and use Venezuela as a negotiating tool vis a vis Ukraine. This US reading-understanding may be a useful bargaining chip for the US when dealing with Russia.

Russia has ‘plenty on its strategic platter’ over Ukraine-NATO, and would not like to open another front by deploying military vessels in the Caribbean. Although China is committed to “solidarity through thick and thin with the Global South, including Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)” and focused on its “growing engagement with the Western Hemisphere”, Beijing is quite satisfied as long as the US considers China being the “most consequential geopolitical challenge” and is more focused on “economic concerns in the bilateral relationship like trade, supply chains, industrial policy, and technology” . 

Finally, the US has long considered Venezuela as a “headache”. As observed elsewhere by the author, Washington has consistently blamed Venezuela for ““lack of cooperation on US anti-drug and counter-terrorism efforts”, and in 2006 the US prohibited “commercial arms sales and retransfers to Venezuela.” In 2015, Venezuela was accused of “policies undermining democratic processes” as well as violation of human rights. During President Trump’s first term, in 2019, Maduro government’s “property and interests” in the US and “within the control of U.S. persons” were frozen”.

The current US political pressures and ongoing military buildup targeted against Venezuela is yet another move in that direction. Venezuela-US relations have been tenuous since the last two decades and will continue unless there is a ‘regime change’ which the US is aggressively engendering. Significantly, the US along with EU have put Venezuela in the ‘Axis of Evasion’ grouping which also includes Iran, and North Korea where the US has attempted regime change and Venezuela is next in line.

Dr. Vijay Sakhuja is former Director National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi and is associated with Kalinga International Foundation, New Delhi.