The U.S. military is moving more weapons and units into the Caribbean that give President Trump powerful new options to escalate his pressure campaign on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and potentially bring him down.

The Trump administration has poured an extraordinary amount of firepower into the Caribbean basin: stealth fighters, electronic warfare aircraft, naval strike groups, surveillance drones, and refueling assets staged within striking distance of Venezuela. Officially, this is about narcotics trafficking and sanctions enforcement. In reality, it is about leverage, regime pressure, oil of course, and the unmistakable message that war is coming. Just ask the Secretary of WAR if peace is the goal. It’s not.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Matthew 24:6 (KJB)

The Caribbean has not seen this level of sustained U.S. military concentration in decades. Warships patrol key shipping lanes. Advanced aircraft operate from nearby islands. Surveillance assets blanket the region. And now, with the seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker and increasingly blunt rhetoric from President Trump, the mask is slipping. This is not a defensive posture, it’s a staging posture. This is not for peace, this is for war. History shows that major conflicts rarely begin with an announcement — they begin with “deterrence,” “security operations,” and “limited enforcement actions.” The language changes only after the first shots are fired. The Caribbean is becoming another chessboard square in a rapidly tightening global game — one that ends, according to Scripture, not with American victory or global peace treaties, but with the rise of Antichrist and the collapse of man’s systems.

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United States Pours More Firepower Into the Caribbean as Trump Ramps Up Threats against Venezuela

FROM THE WSJ: After weeks of deadly boat strikes and the seizure of an oil tanker, the Pentagon is sending assets that could enable land strikes, disable Venezuela’s defenses and enforce an oil embargo—posing a direct threat not only to Maduro but to his regional allies such as Cuba. F-35A stealth jet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare planes, HH-60W rescue helicopters and HC-130J rescue planes are being staged in Puerto Rico, according to photographs and flight tracking data. Tanker aircraft that can refuel bombers and jet fighters midair have been moved to the Dominican Republic in recent days. Such aircraft could play a key role in any potential attacks on land, analysts say.

The deployments add to the significant amount of combat power that the U.S. has already shifted to the region in recent months, including 11 warships, MQ-9 Reaper drones, F-35B jet fighters and P-8 Poseidon spy planes, among other weaponry. The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford last month brought dozens of aircraft into the region that could also be used in airstrikes. Some of the latest aircraft movements were reported by the War Zone.

F-35A stealth jet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare planes, HH-60W rescue helicopters and HC-130J rescue planes are being staged in Puerto Rico, according to photographs and flight tracking data. War is coming in the Caribbean. pic.twitter.com/6upncKIFUo

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) December 13, 2025

Trump has threatened to up the ante by attacking targets on land after months of bombing alleged drug-smuggling boats off the coast of Venezuela and beyond. The administration also seized an oil tanker full of Venezuelan crude earlier this week, opening a new front in the White House’s pressure campaign.

Trump has also said that he has authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela.

“We’ve been watching the efforts to intimidate us,” Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said in an address Friday, referring to American aircraft near Venezuelan territory. “We ask humbly, don’t be mistaken. We’re ready to defend this country. You’re not going to intimidate us.”

Military analysts say the recent movement of equipment further signals the administration’s intent to carry out combat operations. The buildup also means the U.S. has the resources in place to seize more oil tankers if Trump chooses to do so.

“I think what’s important about the forces and capabilities that are moving into the theater is that they are optimized to conduct precision, stealthy strikes that can minimize collateral damage,” said Heather Penney, a former fighter pilot and director of studies and research at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, an aerospace think tank. “All of them together work in concert to open up the battlespace and conduct precision strikes with minimum risk to U.S. forces. And of course, you have a search-and-rescue team there just in case.”

Regional analysts and former government officials have warned that U.S. military action in Venezuela could spiral into a wider crisis across Latin America. Cuba, which suffers from a fragile economy and severe energy shortages, relies on Venezuela for oil. Any conflict could also quickly spill across the porous borders with Colombia, where armed groups rule much of the frontier. READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

• HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

US commandos from the Department of War stormed a Venezuelan oil tanker in a breathtaking airborne takedown amid ratcheting tensions in the Caribbean.

The breaking news that U.S. commandos stormed and seized a Venezuelan oil tanker is not simply another geopolitical dust-up — it is a visible sign of the times, a reminder that the world’s great powers are now moving pieces on the prophetic chessboard with increasing speed and intensity. The Department of War is open for business.

“In your patience possess ye your souls.” Luke 21 :19 (KJB)

When President Trump announced that U.S. forces had taken control of what he described as a “very large tanker” operating off the Venezuelan coast, the world caught a glimpse of something Washington hasn’t shown in decades: the willingness to use force decisively, swiftly, and without apology. And make no mistake, while the modern bureaucracy insists on calling it the “Department of Defense,” what you saw on full display was the Department of War, doing exactly what it was renamed from in 1949, projecting American power upon the seas. But where does all this lead, and more importantly, where does it all end?

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President Trump orders seizure of Venezuelan oil tanker with stunning attack by US commandos at the Department of War

FROM THE DAILY MAIL UK: Footage released by the Trump administration on Wednesday showed American forces swooping on the tanker in helicopters and rappelling down ropes. Troops with guns drawn darted up stairs to the bridge to take control of the vessel off the coast of Venezuela.

Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a statement on X: ‘Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.

‘For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.’

The release of the video comes hours after it was reported on Wednesday that the tanker had been seized, sparking fears of a potential blockade and sending oil prices sky-rocketing. No name was given for the ‘stateless’ vessel, nor was it confirmed precisely where off the coast of Venezuela the raid unfolded.

Trump called it ‘the largest one ever seized’ and warned that ‘other things are happening.’

The capture sent oil prices climbing sharply, with Brent crude rising 1.21 percent to $62.69 a barrel amid fears the escalation could disrupt global supply. Venezuela is one of the largest suppliers of oil to China, which has been the destination of between 55 percent and 90 percent of the country’s oil exports.

A Bloomberg report called the move ‘a serious escalation’ after Trump demanded Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro step down. Caracas did not immediately respond to the seizure.

When asked about what the US will do with the oil seized from the Venezuelan tanker, Trump said, ‘We keep it.’

This week’s seizure marks the first time the Trump administration has moved to interfere with the country’s oil distribution amid the hostile pressure campaign. When a reporter on Wednesday asked Trump about who owns the seized oil tanker, the President responded, ‘You’ll get that information later.’ READ MORE

Dramatic Footage Shows US Forces Seize Tanker Off Venezuela

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

• HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

More than 11 US warships, including the country’s largest carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, are bearing down on the Caribbean amid escalating tensions between President Trump and Venezuela.

More than Saudi Arabia, more than Iran, and more than every other nation, Venezuela sits upon the largest known oil reserves that exist anywhere on this Earth. Venezuela has 303 billion barrels of proven crude, but under Maduro’s socialist collapse, those reserves are basically locked away. A military intervention would place that oil under a new “friendly” government — or under direct U.S. strategic influence. Washington has wanted this for decades. Every administration knew it. Trump is going to be the one to take it. Oil is energy, and energy is power. That’s the memo.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” Matthew 24:7 (KJB)

On our Podcast today, our main story was about Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and his fervent denial that he had ordered a ‘second strike’ on the ‘narcoterrorists’ gunboat. He said “As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory reporting.” A few hours after the Podcast wrapped, President Trump issued the announcement that yes, Hegseth had absolutely ordered the second strike that brutally killed the survivors of the first strike. Can you say ‘war crime’? And before anyone can be brought to trial, Trump will have already given the order for the US military to invade Venezuela. Is Trump really so concerned about stopping the drug trade that has been going on for over a century? Nope. He wants the oil, and he’s going to invade them to get it, because that’s what the people who hit his right ear with that warning shot last summer have told him to do.

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11 US warships and 15,000 troops now in Caribbean as Venezuela tensions escalate

FROM THE NEW YORK POST: A Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of an amphibious land invasion has also been deployed as part of efforts to stem the flow of drugs into the US from the socialist country.

“The military’s job is to defend the homeland,” Secretary of the Navy John Phelan told Fox News on Saturday night. “That’s exactly what we’re doing, and we’re using our best assets to defend the homeland. Drugs kill more Americans than we’ve ever lost in wars,” he said. “So I think at the end of the day, the president has correctly identified this as an attack on the country, which it is.” Venezuela’s socialist president, Nicolas Maduro, is being blamed for allowing narco vessels to set off from his country for US.

JUST SAY NO. Listen as Congresswoman Maria Salazar tells you that Venezuela sits upon the largest known oil reserves on Planet Earth, and that Trump is going to take it. And oh, almost forgot, let’s stop the drugs, too, said no one ever. WWIII, anyone? pic.twitter.com/hyrl152ZlK

— Now The End Begins (@NowTheEndBegins) December 2, 2025

Among the 11 warships currently in the Caribbean is the USS Ford, which houses the Carrier Strike Group featuring nine carrier air wings, or more than 70 aircraft, including squadrons out of Virginia, Florida and Washington state. Other ships deployed to the region include the USS Iwo Jamia, a Wasp-class amphibious assault vehicle capable of carrying up to six Harrier II attack aircraft.

The USS Gravely and the USS Stockdale, two naval guided-missile destroyers, are currently operating in the Caribbean along with the larger guided-missile cruisers, the USS Lake Erie and the USS Gettysburg.

Up to 2,200 Marines, based out of Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Base New River in North Carolina, are also stationed in the Caribbean. In total, around 15,000 troops, including the Marines on ships and about 5,000 personnel at bases in Puerto Rico, are now in the region, the Conversation reported. Roosevelt Roads naval base in Puerto Rico has been reopened as part of the buildup.

The growing firepower is part of Trump’s Operation Southern Spear, which aims, with support of the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security, to control the flow of deadly narcotics heading north to the US. It coincides with efforts to modernize US armed forces using AI, unmanned systems and hypersonic missiles, as well as a push from Trump to bring shipbuilding jobs back to America. READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

• HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB