Trump Reportedly Weighing Strikes on Venezuela
US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering military strikes on drug cartels inside Venezuela, CNN revealed Friday, citing sources familiar with the discussions. The move comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Caracas and renewed US efforts to undermine Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
According to the report, the Pentagon has already deployed at least eight warships and one submarine to the eastern Caribbean. A missile strike earlier this week on a vessel allegedly smuggling drugs from Venezuela is said to have been the opening step in Trump’s broader plan to curb narcotics trafficking in the region. Analysts also note the strategy could indirectly pressure Maduro’s government, which has long been accused by Washington of links to organized crime.
During his first term, Trump imposed sweeping sanctions on Venezuela, hitting its vital oil trade and financial sector. Last month, Attorney General Pam Bondi raised the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest from $25 million to $50 million, signaling Washington’s intensified focus on his removal.
While Trump on Friday denied that the US is pursuing regime change, he questioned the integrity of Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, calling it “very strange.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio also warned this week that the US would “take on drug cartels wherever they are.”
Maduro has dismissed the US accusations, insisting they are part of a broader campaign to destabilize his country. “Just as it wasn’t true that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, what they’re saying about Venezuela isn’t true either,” he said. Maduro vowed that Venezuela would declare itself a “republic in arms” if attacked by Washington.
With military assets already positioned nearby, observers suggest the risk of escalation in the Caribbean remains high.
