US Navy ‘ready’ for Venezuela mission: top commander

The US Navy is ready to “do what needs to be done” on Venezuela, a top commander said Monday, as America ramps up pressure on the crisis-wracked country.

US Southern Command chief Admiral Craig Faller made the remarks in Rio de Janeiro as the United States kicked off its annual UNITAS maritime exercise involving nine Latin American countries as well as the UK, Portugal and Japan.

“I won’t speak to details of what we’re planning and what we’re doing, but we remain ready to implement policy decisions and we remain on the balls of our feet,” Faller told reporters. “The United States Navy is the most powerful navy in the world.

If a policy decision is made to deploy the navy, I’m convinced that we’ll be able to do what needs to be done.” His remarks came just weeks after President Donald Trump said he was considering a “blockade or quarantine” of the Latin American country.