Hegseth celebrates Thanksgiving in Caribbean; US eyeing Venezuela escalation? Hint for Maduro?

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spent Thanksgiving aboard warships in the Caribbean — including USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Winston S. Churchill near Venezuela. The visit comes amid the Trump administration’s expanded anti-narco-terror campaign, which officials say targets drug-trafficking networks. Critics argue the deployment, framed as counter-narcotics, is a strategic move that increases pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The timing and symbolism of a holiday show of force in the Caribbean raise questions about possible escalation in U.S.–Venezuela tensions. Watch to learn what this could mean for regional stability and U.S. military strategy.