AHMED ASAD RAJPOOT

Social media posts recently have circulated an image (purporting to be a “Daily Star” news screenshot) claiming that President Vladimir Putin and former President Donald Trump were jointly orchestrating a “pincer movement on South America” with troops building up on regional borders. No reputable news outlet reports any such plan. In fact, leading news sources describe quite different developments: the United States has increased its military presence around the Caribbean (ostensibly to combat drug trafficking), and Russia’s involvement has been limited to rhetorical support and small-scale military cooperation with Venezuela. None of these reports mention any U.S.–Russian coordination or deployments framing the continent. All available evidence contradicts the “pincer movement” narrative as mere misinformation.

Origin and Spread of the Claim

The claim appears to originate on fringe social-media channels, often using sensationalized screenshots (e.g. images labeled “STAR DAILY”) to mimic news headlines. For example, a meme-like post on Threads and Instagram on Nov. 29, 2025, shows text saying “Putin and Trump’s pincer movement on South America as ‘troops build up’ on border”. However, no actual article exists at the referenced Daily Star URL, and major news sites (Reuters, AP, AFP, etc.) have published nothing to that effect. Instead, these outlets describe U.S. and Russian actions independently (see below). In other words, the “pincer” story is not found in any legitimate news report and traces back only to unverified social-media chatter.

Actual U.S. Military Activity in the Region

U.S. forces have indeed been active in the Caribbean, but in anti-narcotics roles – not coordinating with Russia. Since mid-2025 the Trump administration (as covered by Reuters and AP) has deployed significant naval and air assets around Venezuela and neighboring waters, under operations dubbed “Southern Spear” and similar counternarcotics missions. For example, AP News reports that the U.S. Navy sent the carrier USS Gerald Ford and nearly a dozen warships, “about 12,000 sailors and Marines,” to the region. U.S. forces have conducted repeated strikes on vessels alleged to be drug-smugglers (killing scores of presumed traffickers) and held joint military exercises with Panama and Trinidad & Tobago. These operations are explicitly presented as targeting narcotics routes, not as any joint U.S.–Russia war plan. In short, credible sources confirm a strong American military presence in the Caribbean, but solely on the U.S. side (e.g. around Venezuela’s coasts and island neighbors). Nowhere do they mention any cooperation with Russia or actions on the opposite side of the continent.

Russian Military Involvement in Latin America

Russia’s recent activity in South America has been minimal and unrelated to any “pincer” scheme. Unlike the dramatic U.S. deployments, Russia has not publicly moved large troop formations into the Western Hemisphere. The Washington Post notes only that Russia periodically sends a few transport planes and advisers to Venezuela to maintain existing arms contracts – for instance a sanctioned Il-76 transport flew into Caracas via Africa in October 2025. The Kremlin emphasizes that its involvement is limited to technical cooperation: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explicitly stated in late 2025 that “Caracas has not requested” weapons or troop deployments and Russia has “no plans to send” such forces. (Indeed, Russia is heavily engaged in the Ukraine war and has constrained resources.) Official Russian statements have instead focused on rhetoric: they denounce U.S. actions and reaffirm support for Maduro, but they do not mention any joint military action with the U.S. For example, Reuters reports that Russia’s foreign ministry “strongly condemns” recent U.S. strikes near Venezuela and expressed “full support and solidarity with the leadership and people of Venezuela”. Similarly, Moscow has publicly said it stands “ready to respond appropriately” to Venezuelan requests, but only in defense of sovereignty. These statements underscore a defensive posture, not an alliance with U.S. intervention. In sum, Russia’s factual deployments have been limited to advisors and equipment already requested by Venezuela, not new offensive troop movements; and its diplomatic messaging gives no hint of any U.S.–Russia “pincer” plan.

No Evidence of Coordinated “Pincer” Plan

All the above sources make it clear: U.S. and Russian actions in the Americas are completely separate and often oppositional, not cooperative. Credible outlets consistently portray Russia as criticizing U.S. military moves, while only offering rhetorical support to its long-time ally Maduro – hardly “coordinating” with the White House. There are no official announcements or leaked documents describing any synchronized U.S.–Russian operation in Latin America. By contrast, news coverage highlights internal U.S. motivations (anti-drug policy, influence in Venezuela) and Russian calculations (protecting Venezuelan allies, distraction from Ukraine). The “troops on the border” aspect also makes little sense: South America’s continental neighbors do not coincide with U.S. bases or Russian forces – the nearest substantial U.S. forces are naval assets offshore, not on a “border,” and Russia has no shared land border in South America.

In summary, there is no factual basis for the pincer-movement story. All available evidence indicates the opposite: no credible reports of any joint Russia–U.S. military buildup exist; rather, U.S. forces alone have gathered in the Caribbean, and Russia has limited itself to advisory support and condemnations of U.S. actions. The viral “Daily Star” image appears to be a fabricated meme, and reputable news organizations have simply not covered any such claim.

Geopolitical Context

To be clear, tensions are real around Venezuela but involve different players and goals. The Trump administration’s focus on Latin America has been on drug interdiction and pressuring President Maduro (who it deems illegitimate). Russia’s focus (per analysts) has been on preserving its investments in Venezuela and avoiding another front – even using the crisis to divert Western attention from the Russia–Ukraine war. There is no evidence that President Trump and President Putin coordinated in this region; indeed, their official policies and statements around Venezuela are not aligned. In the absence of any verified sources or official confirmations, the “pincer movement” story must be treated as baseless misinformation.

Sources: Contemporary news reports from Reuters, AP and the Washington Post on U.S. and Russian military activity around Venezuela; official statements by Russian and U.S. officials as reported in those outlets. These sources detail the real deployments and diplomatic comments in Latin America and contain no reference to any U.S.–Russia joint maneuver.

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