PANAMA CITY—A US guided missile cruiser, USS Lake Erie, was seen crossing the Panama Canal from the Pacific to the Caribbean Friday night, after the Trump administration deployed warships near the coast of Venezuela.
US warship heading toward Caribbean Sea
AFP journalists saw the naval vessel passing through one of the canal’s locks at around 9:30 pm (0230 GMT Saturday) and navigating east toward the Atlantic.
The US has said the deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean, near Venezuela’s territorial waters, was an anti-drug trafficking operation.
“I didn’t know the ship was going to pass... I was surprised,” Alfredo Cedeno, a 32-year-old health technician, who took photos of the cruiser, told AFP.
The Lake Erie had been moored for the past two days at the Port of Rodman, at the canal’s Pacific entrance.
Washington has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug cartel and has doubled the bounty for his capture to million.
The US has, however, made no public threat to invade Venezuela.
Caracas announced on Monday the deployment of 15,000 security forces to the Colombian border for anti-drug trafficking operations.
A day later, Venezuela announced that it would patrol its territorial waters with drones and navy ships., This news data comes from:http://ycyzqzxyh.com
Maduro also claimed to have mobilized more than four million militia members in response to US “threats.”
US warship heading toward Caribbean Sea
The 567-foot-long (173 meters) USS Lake Erie displaces 9,800 tons and is based in the port of San Diego, California.
- Transport chief pushes shame campaign vs errant motorists
- Sen. Bong Go files bill for better health worker protection, benefits
- Ukraine's children start new school year in underground classrooms to avoid Russian bombs
- Trump moves to cut more foreign aid, risking shutdown
- White House fires US health agency head after she refused to quit
- Nepal to block unregistered social media platforms – govt
- Gasoline, diesel prices to increase again next week
- Lacson seeks probe of 2 PH contractors' board members for conflict of interest
- Kris Aquino is alive, says friend amid reports of death
- Russia hits seat of Ukraine government in war's biggest air attack
