Venezuelan Government Detains Man for Posting 'Welcome Gringo Ships' on Social Media

Venezuelan authorities have arrested a man on the island of Margarita for posting "welcome gringo ships" on social media, a reference to U.S. naval vessels currently deployed in the Caribbean. The announcement was made by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello during his weekly program on state television.

"Today we caught one in Margarita—he wrote 'welcome gringo ships,'" Cabello said, confirming the arrest but providing no details about the individual. He described the detention as part of a "new version of the Tun Tun Navideño," a phrase historically used to refer to door-to-door raids in Venezuela.

Cabello accused the man of "calling for an invasion" and warned that others doing the same would face similar consequences, as Infobae noted. "Those asking for invasion are miserable people without a homeland," he said. "If the gringos' bombs don't fall on you by mistake, we will come for you."

The arrest follows escalating rhetoric from Venezuelan officials as U.S. military presence in the region expands. The Trump administration has deployed at least eight warships, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, and at least 10,000 troops in the Caribbean, saying the operation targets narcotics trafficking networks allegedly linked to the Maduro government. Caracas has dismissed the justification as a pretext for "regime change."

Authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro said Wednesday that Venezuela is "increasingly prepared to defend itself" against the United States, claiming Washington seeks to provoke "a war in the Caribbean and South America." "If the gringos attack, we will respond," Maduro said.

During the same broadcast, Cabello also repeated allegations that 78 Venezuelan children remain "kidnapped" in the United States after their parents were deported, accusing the Trump administration of separating families "and ripping them from their parents' hands."

Venezuelan officials say the children's cases arose after deportation flights resumed earlier this year under a bilateral agreement that has sent more than 12,000 Venezuelans back from the U.S.

The comments add to a string of recent attacks by Cabello against U.S. officials. Earlier this week, he accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Florida Representatives María Elvira Salazar and Mario Díaz-Balart of lobbying to end Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans living in the United States—a claim all three lawmakers have denied.