Venezuelan officials announced Sunday that they will increase the deployment of troops in the country’s coastal states in a bid to crack down on drug trafficking.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said President Nicolas Maduro ordered more troops in the Guajira region of Zulia state and the Paraguana peninsula in Falcon. Padrino said the area is part of “a drug trafficking route.”

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Venezuela is also increasing its troop deployment on the Nueva Esparta island and in the states of Sucre and Delta Amacuro from 10,000 to 25,000.

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