CARACAS, PARAGUANÁ - Fishermen from Venezuela’s northwestern state of Falcón say they are more afraid of persecution by the country’s own security forces than of the U.S. military presence in nearby Caribbean waters. This is according to Christian K. Caruzo, a Venezuelan journalist.
Caruzo indicated that in interviews with Venezuelan outlet Runrunes, fishermen described how members of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) have allegedly raided their boats, stolen equipment, and arbitrarily detained locals, accusing them of being part of drug-trafficking networks. The fishermen insist they are innocent and that the regime is using them as scapegoats amid the growing international spotlight on Venezuela’s role in narcotics trafficking.
Falcón — home to the Paraguaná Peninsula and the once-mighty Paraguaná Refining Center — has become a flashpoint for criminal activity in the Caribbean. Years of economic collapse and corruption have transformed the region into a hub for drug smuggling, oil trafficking, and migrant routes, according to reports from Transparencia Venezuela.
Runrunes noted that since September, shortly after U.S. military operations began targeting cartel vessels in international waters, the regime has intensified its actions on land, conducting raids on coastal villages under what it calls “Operation Cacique Manaure.” Locals, however, say these are little more than cover operations for extortion and intimidation.
“The threat is here. We don’t see the Americans,” one fisherman, identified only as Francisco for security reasons, told Runrunes. “But the police and military are out there conducting combat exercises, seizing our equipment, and accusing us of crimes we didn’t commit.”
Residents claim that soldiers have stolen boat engines and fuel containers, later parading them as evidence of supposed drug operations. Several fishermen have been arrested in nighttime raids and presented to prosecutors on fabricated trafficking charges.
“They come at night and take away humble people who live day to day from fishing,” said Endrina, a woman from Las Cumaraguas. “People are tired of so much abuse.”
The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that its naval forces continue to operate in Caribbean waters to intercept drug shipments linked to Venezuelan networks. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that four drug-laden vessels were destroyed this week in precision strikes, killing 14 traffickers.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has dismissed U.S. operations as part of an alleged “invasion plan” to seize the country’s resources, accusing Washington of orchestrating “CIA terrorist operations” — claims for which he has presented no evidence.
For many fishermen in Falcón, the real danger lies not at sea, but at home — in a nation where corruption, militarization, and desperation have blurred the line between law enforcement and oppression.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan journalist who documents daily life under socialism. His reporting appears in international outlets covering Latin America and the Caribbean.
