US accused of targeted spying by Venezuela as Air Force Commander visits Guyana

While the United States Southern Command's Air Force Commander, Major General Evan Pettus, visits Guyana on a three-day tour, authorities in Venezuela have raised concerns regarding a secret memo which delineates the US Drug Enforcement Administration's covert operations in the Latin American nation. Sources suggest that the DEA has been sending undercover operatives into Venezuela to help establish credible drug-trafficking cases against the nation's political leadership. This act is seen by some as a clear violation of international laws and could have serious consequences for the fracturing of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

The situation is certainly more tense since Major General Evan Pettus is currently engaging with authorities in Guyana to help the nation build a stronger defense partnership with the United States, as the border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela becomes a security threat of great significance to the region.

US-Guyana relations to deepen

The US Embassy issued a statement on Thursday, which stated that the US Air Force contingent stationed with the Southern Command is responsible for conducting operations that pertain to maintaining air, space and cyberspace security in Latin America and the Caribbean through security cooperation with regional partners.

This is seen as an important step towards achieving the US Southern Command's goal of deterring regional aggression and threats while responding to crises through cooperation with allies in the region, thus maintaining a state of security, freedom and prosperity in the hemisphere. To this end, Pettus is set to meet senior officials from the United States Embassy, the government of Guyana and the Guyana Defense Force (GDF).

It is expected that improving Guyana's ability to maintain air space awareness will be a major part of the agenda, so as to ensure that the nation can guarantee its security and sovereignty amid rising tensions with Venezuela.

The fact that this visit to Guyana is Pettus's first overseas trip in 2024 highlights how important it is for the United States to maintain a functional bilateral security partnership with the nation as it looks to build its capabilities in the aviation sector from a defence perspective.

The US Embassy has echoed these thoughts, as it stated the following, "Major General Pettus's visit to Guyana underscores the continued importance and strong commitment the United States places on the US-Guyana bilateral security partnership in support of regional stability."

The Embassy added that the United States is fully committed to supporting its allies around the world so it can improve upon existing alliances through information sharing, joint operations and combined exercises that help ensure their stability.

DEA spy operations in Venezuela

As Guyana and Venezuela continue to grapple with the border dispute between them, the Unites States's involvement with Guyana and its stance towards the political climate in Venezuela, could potentially complicate matters.

The latest example of this is the United States’sStats's decision to place Venezuela under sanctions once again because of the Maduro government's role in banning opposition leader Machado's candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections.

To add fuel to the fire, sources have confirmed that a 15-page internal memo has been found, which gives a detailed account of 'Operation Honey Badger'.

Under the guise of this operation, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration launched targeted investigations against senior leaders and officials of Venezuela's government, including President Nicholas Maduro.

This step was undertaken with the aim of establishing credible drug trafficking cases against the Maduro government. While there is no set approach at Venezuela's disposal to take action against what it considers a violation of international laws by the United States, this development is likely to raise the levels of animosity between the two nations even further.

The socialist government of Venezuela under Nicholas Maduro already has a prickly relationship with the United States, to say the least.

Having said that, such a violation could cause other nations in Latin America to resent the United States's modus operandi in the region, which often sees it meddle with the internal politics of nations.

This revelation is also a stark reminder of how the DEA operates, as it maintained operations in Venezuela despite the Latin American nation's ban on US drug agents, which has been applicable for two decades now.

Another intriguing facet of this situation is the effect it has had on close allies of Nicholas Maduro. An example of this is Alex Saab, a pro-Maduro businessman who was freed recently as a part of a prisoner swap, which included 10 Americans and a defense contractor who had been deemed a fugitive.

Wes Tabor, a former DEA official who served as the agency's country attaché in Venezuela, stated the following, "We don't like to say it publicly, but we are, in fact, the police of the world."

While Tabor neither confirmed nor denied the existence of such an operation, he highlighted the fact that unilateral operations are of great use in nations such as Venezuela, where it is often hard to distinguish between the government and criminal elements.

Considering the fact that Venezuela is the transit point for 15% of the cocaine trafficked around the world, it is not difficult to understand Tabor's rationale.

Having said that, it is of paramount importance that such operations are conducted within conducive limits and that accountability is maintained.