Trump Signals Potential Ground operations Against Venezuelan Drug Cartels
WASHINGTON D.C. – President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to authorize ground operations against drug cartels operating within Venezuela, escalating a recent surge in U.S.military activity in the region. Responding to a question about declaring formal war on the cartels, Trump stated, “I think we’re just going to kill those who bring drugs into our contry, okay? […] We are going to kill them, they already know they are going to be dead.“
The statement marks a meaningful shift in the U.S. approach to combating drug trafficking from Venezuela, perhaps moving beyond interdiction efforts at sea to direct action on venezuelan soil. This development comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and the Nicolás Maduro regime, and as U.S. operations have already targeted at least half a dozen vessels in the southern Caribbean since early September, allegedly transporting drugs to the United States. The increased military presence and frequency of these actions have fueled speculation about broader U.S. intentions within Venezuela.
While Trump denied reports from The Wall Street Journal claiming B-1 bombers flew near Caracas to pressure the Maduro regime – stating, “That didn’t happen” – the expansion of U.S. military operations continues. On Tuesday, the U.S.conducted an attack on a suspected drug trafficking ship in the eastern Pacific ocean, extending its offensive beyond the Caribbean Sea.
The potential for ground operations raises complex legal and geopolitical questions, and also concerns about escalating conflict in the region. Venezuela has accused the U.S. of violating its sovereignty, and any direct military intervention could further destabilize the country, which is already grappling with a severe economic and political crisis. The U.S. has long accused the Maduro government of enabling drug trafficking, alleging high-level complicity within the regime.
