As tensions flare between Caracas and Washington, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused the United States of manufacturing a war just as the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, steams toward Venezuelan waters. In a televised address on October 24, 2025, Maduro did not mince words, declaring that the U.S. government, under President Donald Trump, is “fabricating a new eternal war.”
“They promised they would never again get involved in a war and they are fabricating a war that we will avoid,” Maduro said in his Friday night broadcast, according to Time. He went further, calling the U.S. narrative “extravagant,” “vulgar,” and “totally fake.” The Venezuelan leader also flatly denied American allegations that his country is a hub for cocaine production, stating, “Venezuela is a country that does not produce cocaine leaves.”
This war of words comes as the Pentagon confirmed the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the most advanced and largest aircraft carrier ever built by the U.S. Navy, to the Caribbean. The carrier, which typically carries dozens of fighter jets and some 4,000 personnel, had recently been docked in Split, Croatia, suggesting it would take several days to reach its new post off Venezuela’s coast. Its arrival is intended, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, to “dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland.” Parnell told reporters that the move would “bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere.”
The U.S. military buildup does not stop with the USS Gerald R. Ford. In recent months, the Trump administration has sent 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico and stationed eight warships and about 10,000 troops in the region. These moves, according to Time, represent a notable escalation in Washington’s presence in Latin America, justified by the administration as part of a campaign against drug cartels. However, the timing and scale of these deployments have raised suspicions among critics who see them as part of a broader effort to pressure or even depose the Maduro government.
The Trump administration’s rhetoric has only heightened these suspicions. President Trump has repeatedly labeled Maduro an “illegitimate president” following Venezuela’s 2024 election, which most independent observers and several Western governments, including the U.S., have condemned as fraudulent. In August 2025, the U.S. raised the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to a staggering $50 million, accusing him—without providing evidence—of leading the notorious organized crime gang Tren de Aragua and of overseeing the trafficking of fentanyl-laced drugs into the United States.
Tren de Aragua, a criminal group with origins in a Venezuelan prison, is infamous for contract killings, extortion, and human smuggling. However, as noted in AP reporting, it is not widely known for global drug trafficking. Despite this, the Trump administration has tied the group to Venezuela’s leadership in its public statements and policy actions.
Since early September, American forces have conducted at least 10 strikes against boats off the Venezuelan coast, which the U.S. claims were operated by cartel members ferrying drugs. These operations have resulted in at least 43 deaths, according to administration figures. Legal experts and analysts have raised questions about the legality of these strikes, pointing out they have been carried out without Congressional approval. When pressed by reporters, Trump brushed aside concerns about the lack of legislative oversight, saying, “I’m not going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. Okay? We’re going to kill them, you know, they’re going to be like, dead.”
The prospect of direct military action inside Venezuela has also been floated. Trump recently told CNN that he might consider strikes on alleged cocaine production facilities within Venezuela’s borders and said he would “maybe go back to Congress” if such action was taken by land. This ambiguity has only deepened unease among international observers and legal scholars.
In addition to conventional military deployments, Trump has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. Maduro, for his part, called these moves a “desperate” attempt at regime change, echoing his long-standing claim that the U.S. seeks to topple his government by any means necessary.
The U.S. campaign has not been limited to Venezuela. On October 24, 2025, the Treasury Department announced sanctions against Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, alleging he provided “benefits” to “narco-terrorist organizations.” Trump himself has lashed out at Petro, warning that Colombia must “close up” drug operations or face American intervention, saying, “it won’t be done nicely.”
All this comes against a backdrop of Trump’s repeated assertions that he is the “president of peace” and his campaign promises to end “endless wars.” Yet, since returning for a second term, Trump has launched widespread bombing raids against Iran’s nuclear program—again, without seeking Congressional approval—and now faces criticism for what some see as a growing willingness to use military force abroad, particularly in Latin America.
Maduro’s position, meanwhile, remains precarious. Widely accused of stealing the 2024 election, he faces ongoing calls from the U.S. and other countries to step down. His government’s legitimacy is under constant challenge, and the specter of foreign intervention hangs over Venezuela’s political crisis. Maduro insists that the U.S. is fabricating criminal narratives to justify intervention, maintaining that Venezuela is not a producer of cocaine and that the accusations are “totally fake.”
As the USS Gerald R. Ford and its formidable arsenal draw closer to Venezuelan shores, the world watches with bated breath. The stakes are high: a miscalculation could ignite a conflict with unpredictable consequences for the region and beyond. Both leaders are digging in—Maduro with his defiant rhetoric and Trump with his show of military might—leaving little room for compromise or de-escalation.
In the end, the unfolding drama in the Caribbean is about more than just allegations of drug trafficking or the movement of warships. It is a test of will, legitimacy, and the limits of power—one that could reshape the future of U.S.-Latin American relations for years to come.
