Venezuelan Fishermen Fear for Their Lives Amid US Military Actions

Sat Oct 18 2025 05:29:12 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The intensifying US military presence in the Caribbean has instilled fear among Venezuelan fishermen, who worry about being caught in crossfire as the US targets alleged drug traffickers in the region.

Venezuelan fishermen, like Wilder Fernández, are increasingly anxious about going to sea due to US military operations aimed at combating drug trafficking. The deployment of US warships and subsequent strikes have resulted in fatalities, leading fishermen to fear for their lives amidst the geopolitical tensions in the region. Many locals feel cornered and are facing stark choices as the military operations threaten their livelihoods and safety.

Wilder Fernández has caught four good-sized fish in the murky waters of a small bay north of Lake Maracaibo. The contents of his net will serve as dinner for his small team before they set out to go fishing again in the evening. But this daily task is a job he has recently become scared of doing.

After 13 years as a fisherman, Mr Fernández confesses that he now fears his job could turn lethal. He is afraid he could die in these waters not at the hands of a night-time attacker - a threat fishermen like him encountered in the past - but rather, killed in a strike launched by a foreign power.

It's crazy, man, he says of the deployment of US warships, fighter jets, a submarine, and thousands of US troops in waters north of Venezuela's coast.

The US force patrolling in the Caribbean is part of a military operation targeting suspected 'narco-terrorists', which according to the White House have links to the Venezuelan government led by Nicolás Maduro.

Since 2 September, the US has carried out a number of strikes against what it labelled 'narco-boats', in which at least 27 people have been killed. The US has accused those killed of smuggling drugs but has so far not presented any evidence. Experts have suggested the strikes could be illegal under international law.

Tensions between the US and Venezuela escalated further on Wednesday when US President Donald Trump said that he was considering strikes on Venezuelan soil. He also confirmed that he had authorised the CIA to carry out covert operations inside Venezuela.

Mr Fernández is across the latest news. Even though the strikes are said by the US to have happened thousands of kilometres from where he fishes, his wife has been trying to convince him to leave Lake Maracaibo. Every day she begs him to leave his fishing job. She tells me to look for another job, but there's nowhere to go, he explains.

He does not rule out that his boat could be hit 'by mistake'. Of course it worries me, you never know. I think about it every day, man, the father of three says.

In response to his concerns and the broader fears arising from the US strikes, Venezuela's Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino warned that citizens should prepare 'for the worst', highlighting the serious threats of aggression against the nation and its leadership.

This fear among fishermen has compounded existing pressures they face, with many feeling inclined to turn to illegal activities to maintain their livelihoods, further complicating an already strained situation.

Despite their fears, some fishermen remain defiant. In late September, they took to the waters in solidarity with the Maduro government, asserting their desire for peace and stability over a backdrop of military tensions.