US bombings of suspected drug smuggling boats have led to heightened surveillance by authorities in the remote state of Sucre, in northeastern Venezuela. Increased patrols by security services and ruling party supporters are creating fear among residents, according to four residents and a recent visitor.
Sucre, just seven miles from Trinidad and Tobago, was home to some of the more than 80 people killed so far in Washington’s campaign of attacks in the Caribbean and Pacific region. The state is the second poorest state in Venezuela, and about 60% of its population works for the regime.
Reuters news agency revealed last week that the United States is about to launch a new phase of operations related to this South American country.
The Trump administration says the attacks have disrupted the operations of drug cartels, including groups it accuses of being led by Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. The regime has always denied any involvement in the crime and, in turn, accused Washington of trying to control Venezuela’s natural resources, especially its vast oil reserves.
The increased surveillance may indicate the dictatorship’s desire to impose tighter control over a region long dominated by criminal activity, including drug trafficking.
Two family members of people from Sucre killed in boat attacks said they received a visit from police and agents of SEBIN (Bolivarian National Intelligence Service) shortly after the attacks. Fearing retaliation, they asked to remain anonymous.
Authorities searched their homes and warned them not to post anything about the death of their loved ones on social media. Relatives said they had not received any official information and were not aware of any investigation into the deaths of their family members.
Washington did not announce details about the Venezuelans killed in the attacks, and Caracas did not reveal their names. Since the bodies were not found, the families were unable to hold funerals.
Four residents of Goiria, a coastal city in Sucre state whose economy relies mainly on maritime smuggling of illicit products, including drugs, and which has suffered attacks, told Reuters they had seen an increase in the number of security officers from various agencies since mid-September, with patrols intensified further over the past two weeks.
The Venezuelan Ministry of Communications, which is responsible for responding to all press requests on behalf of the regime, did not comment on the increased security activity in Sucre. The dictatorship claims that the country is democratic and that the security forces act according to the law.
The news agency was unable to determine why more Venezuelan regime agents were being sent to Sucre, but counterintelligence and surveillance of troops and citizens — especially by the Directorate General of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) and Sebin — are key pillars of the Maduro regime, according to international observers, human rights groups, former soldiers and opposition parliamentarians.
The General Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration, imposed by the United States and under investigation by the International Criminal Court, has been accused of systematic abuses, including torture and extrajudicial executions. Sibin’s surveillance targets opposition figures, journalists, and others.
Officers patrolling Sucre sometimes wear civilian clothes and use sedans and SUVs, witnesses said, who said they recognized them because they were not from the city. In other cases, eyewitnesses saw uniformed agents from the service, the armed forces, the General Directorate for Combating Illegal Immigration, and the National Police patrolling, especially at night.
“They pass through the same areas over and over again, at any time,” said a community leader, who requested anonymity for security reasons. “Before, they were not persistent, and now they are everywhere all the time.”
One trader, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said most patrols are carried out on motorcycles and police vehicles. The patrols include civilian members of motorcycle groups allied with the ruling party, known as colectivos. “Everything is regulated by the government – civilians and police patrol the streets together,” he said. “Everything seems calm, except for the increased surveillance in the city.”
The patrols, which residents say increased after joint military exercises between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago were announced in late October, have led to arrests, two residents said. Residents also reported the presence of checkpoints in some areas, and said it was often unclear who controlled them.
The local economy in Guiria, which in addition to drug trafficking is supported partly by informal trade in food and other products with Trinidad and Tobago, is showing signs of stagnation. “There has been no movement in the stores until recently because of the bonuses paid by the government, and other than that, there is no money in circulation,” said a grocery store employee.
“No boats of any kind leave for Trinidad and Tobago – not migrants, not people who buy goods there to sell them here, and certainly not those who take Venezuelan products to sell them there, which is another way to make money. Everything is practically dead,” she concluded.
A former resident of Caropano, who recently visited the town on the coast north of Sucre, said the General Directorate for Combating Illegal Immigration had set up a command center in a state-owned hotel, and that activity in public places had decreased due to the increased presence of security forces.
The former resident said: “The people of the city know that there are individuals who are not part of the community, and are not from there. People are walking around like civilians, but they belong to government intelligence.” “There’s a lot of secrecy – no one talks about it because they don’t know if anyone is listening.”