In a significant development, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Wednesday that his country had intercepted three aircraft allegedly involved in drug trafficking. The operations coincided with a US military deployment targeting narco groups in the Caribbean. Maduro detailed the incidents during an official event, stating that one plane was detected entering through the Caribbean, while two others approached from the north. He emphasized that Venezuela acted in accordance with its interception laws, though it remains unclear whether the planes were shot down. Maduro framed the actions as a demonstration of sovereignty, asserting, “to make them respect Venezuela.” This move comes as Caracas seeks to highlight its anti-drug efforts amidst a large-scale US military presence in the region. Earlier on Wednesday, Venezuela’s armed forces reported destroying two Colombian narcotrafficking camps on its territory, seizing ammunition, vehicles, tactical gear, and fuel. The US describes its deployment as an anti-drug operation, but Venezuela views it as a potential pretext for military intervention aimed at ousting Maduro. The Trump administration has labeled Maduro a drug lord, offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture—a claim Maduro vehemently denies. He maintains that Venezuela is not a drug cultivation hub but is instead used as a trafficking route for Colombian cocaine. Recent US strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in international waters have resulted in at least 57 deaths, raising concerns about extrajudicial killings. Meanwhile, General Domingo Hernandez Larez, head of Venezuela’s armed forces strategic command, revealed that pamphlets from the Colombian ELN guerrilla group were found during the camp raids. The ELN, a prominent insurgency group, controls territory near the Venezuelan border, which experts identify as a key source of coca and a gateway for cocaine trafficking to the Caribbean and beyond.