A major increase in U.S. naval forces in the south Caribbean Sea has been underway since President Trump signed a directive targeting some cartels.

As US destroyers closed in on Venezuela's coast on Thursday, China condemned Washington's military build-up and warned against foreign interference, backing Nicolas Maduro in a showdown that is drawing in powers far beyond the Caribbean.

Tensions between Washington and Caracas have escalated after Trump announced the deployment of three US warships off the coast of Venezuela as part of efforts to prevent drug trafficking. The move comes a day after US President Donald Trump doubled the bounty to $50 million on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The United States is deploying three guided-missile destroyers to the waters off Venezuela as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels.