Trump won

President Trump said Monday that he would not rule out sending US troops to Venezuela, as his administration consider taking military action against the Caribbean nation led by a man the White House accuses of leading a drug cartel.

The US military continues to add firepower to an already significant presence in the Caribbean, intensifying both the deployment of assets and military exercises across the region in recent weeks.

With the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s most advanced aircraft carrier, now stationed just off Venezuela, there are approximately 15,000 U.S. troops at sea and on land in the region. even in Puerto Ricowhere American F-35 stealth fighter jets have been seen flying almost 24 hours a day this week.

The Ford arrived as the Trump administration moved to designate an alleged drug smuggling ring known as “The Suns Poster” as a foreign terrorist organization. President Trump said that designation could open the door to attacking assets and infrastructure within Venezuela.

Asked Monday if he would rule out sending U.S. ground troops to Venezuela, Trump said: “No, I don’t rule it out. I don’t rule out anything. We just have to take care of Venezuela.”

Uncertainty over how Trump will decide to do that, combined with the huge buildup of U.S. forces in the region, is leaving some residents in nearby Puerto Rico uneasy.

“There really hasn’t been this kind of presence for two decades,” U.S. Navy veteran Juan Masini told News themezone of the U.S. military deployment, which he said had “created almost a blockade against Venezuela.”

“I feel tense, I feel anxious, not knowing what is going to happen,” said another Puerto Rico resident, Damián León. “Maybe an attack.”

But for others, an influx of American personnel means something very different: security and customers.

Local business owner Osbaldo Medina told News themezone he has seen an economic surge in recent weeks.

“They give us more security. They support us financially,” he said.

The controversial US military Attacks on alleged drug trafficking vessels The attacks continued over the weekend, with at least 22 boats attacked and 83 people killed since the attacks began in September.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro tried to ease the tension with its much larger northern neighbor on Monday, even offering a musical highlight, singing some of John Lennon’s famous song “Imagine” and urging the Trump administration to give peace a chance.