As I reported last week, the United States and various other Western Hemisphere countries are putting pressure on the illegitimate Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuela, and it's looking more and more like his time is running out. This story is developing pretty quickly, and as promised, I have a few updates.
Another U.S. Warship Crosses the Panama Canal
Last week, seven U.S. warships, along with a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, were either in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela's coast or expected to be there by this coming week. One of them, the U.S.S. Lake Erie, a guided-missile cruiser that is typically based in San Diego, was hanging out in the Pacific Ocean at Port of Rodman on Panama's west coast for a couple of days. Here's a map Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) posted on X last week:
Dictator Nicolas Maduro hasn’t been sleeping lately.
— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) August 26, 2025
No creo que el dictador Nicolás Maduro esté durmiendo mucho que digamos. #SOSVenezuela pic.twitter.com/WDoHsBIkkm
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was also in Panama last week and met with the service members aboard the ship to discuss "their mission" and wish them well on their "upcoming vital tasks."
While in Panama, I had the privilege of meeting with the American sailors and service members of the USS Lake Erie, who were traveling through the Panama Canal.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) August 30, 2025
I toured the ship, briefly discussed their mission, and wished them success in their upcoming vital tasks. pic.twitter.com/bXV39h7eb2
As of this weekend, a journalist at AFP has confirmed that the warship passed through the Panama Canal on Friday night around 9:30 p.m., headed for the Caribbean. It's not unusual for our military to patrol these waters, but as Gimenez said last week, the sheer number of warships and other military vehicles is unprecedented. Here's an image of the ship in the canal:
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.https://t.co/YsTI1cZX1m
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 30, 2025
Right now, the Donald Trump administration claims that the growing military presence is simply part of its enforcement efforts to keep drug cartels from getting their products into the United States, but a source close to the administration told the New York Post on Saturday that the "clock is about to strike midnight for Maduro."
Related: The U.S. and Venezuela: What's Happening and What Comes Next?
More Pressure From Other Countries
While our country is leading the way, it's not just the U.S. putting that pressure on Maduro. As I reported last week, Ecuador, Argentina, and Paraguay all joined us in declaring Cartel de los Soles — Maduro's criminal network — as a Specially Designated Terrorist Organization (SDTO). Guyana also praised these actions, and I've seen other U.S. officials state that other Caribbean leaders welcome this type of pressure on Venezuela.
Since I published my article on Thursday night, more countries are speaking up, including some outside the hemisphere. On Saturday, Norway Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide released a statement condemning Venezuela for the "increased use of forced disappearances, alleged instances of excessive use of force against demonstrators by State agents and unlawful killings, among other violations." The statement concludes: "Political violence must cease immediately and the Venezuelan people's right to freedom of expression and peaceful political participation must be respected."
Back in Panama, on Friday, Congressman Perez Barboni urged the Panamanian government to follow the other countries in the region and declare Cartel de los Soles a terrorist organization.
🚨 ÚLTIMA HORA: El diputado panameño @PerezBarboni solicita al gobierno de Panamá designar al Cartel de los Soles, liderado por Nicolás Maduro, como una organización terrorista:pic.twitter.com/EX0MJhhgQe
— Emmanuel Rincón (@EmmaRincon) August 29, 2025
Maduro's Recent Flights to Nicaragua
I mentioned this briefly in an article I wrote yesterday, but I wanted to elaborate on it a little bit. There have been rumors that if or when Maduro does feel cornered to the point of no return, he and his family will flee to Nicaragua. I didn't see this until yesterday, but twice in the last two or three weeks, an airplane from Venezuela's presidential fleet made the trip to Nicaragua. It's not clear who was on the plane — "neither Caracas nor Managua have provided any information about the passengers, cargo, or purpose of the flight" according to Despacho 505 — and there was no official communication about the flights. As a matter of fact, the reason they became public knowledge is because Venezuelan journalists and citizens caught them on flight radars and posted to social media.
Recommended: Silenced Voices and Sealed Coffins in Nicaragua
Today, an Airbus A340 (YV1004), frequently used by Nicolás Maduro and Chavista leaders, flew from Venezuela to Nicaragua, with a stopover in Honduras. It landed in Managua, spent the day there, and returned to Venezuela tonight. pic.twitter.com/rZpvhk4csq
— Cartel Watch (@CartelWatchNet) August 25, 2025
The plane that made the trips is the same one Maduro himself took to Moscow in May. My guess is that he probably is moving family members — there have been rumors circulating online that his children were on the plane but I can't confirm them — and other various assets as the U.S. military closes in on him and his government, but we'll have to see how this plays out.
Meanwhile, while Maduro is looking out for himself, he's telling the people of Venezuela that there is "no way" the U.S. can enter Venezuela. In a speech to Venezuela troops, a state-run media agency reported that he told them, "Today, we are stronger than yesterday. Today, we are more prepared to defend peace, sovereignty and territorial integrity."
We'll see how that works out for him.
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