As tensions in the Caribbean reach a boiling point, President Donald Trump has signaled a dramatic escalation in the United States’ campaign against alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers. Over the past week, a flurry of official statements, military maneuvers, and political reactions have left observers on both sides of the hemisphere wondering: is the U.S. on the brink of direct military action inside Venezuela?
On November 27, 2025, during a Thanksgiving video call with U.S. military personnel, President Trump announced that the United States would soon begin targeting Venezuelan drug trafficking networks on land, expanding beyond the controversial maritime strikes that have already killed at least 83 people since September. "In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many. Of course, there aren’t too many coming in by sea anymore,” Trump told service members, according to CNN. "You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon." He added a stern warning: "We warn them: Stop sending poison to our country."
This announcement comes on the heels of an unprecedented U.S. military buildup in the region, including the deployment of more than a dozen warships, 15,000 troops, and the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, as part of “Operation Southern Spear,” according to Reuters and Newsweek. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Trump’s chief military adviser, made his second visit to Puerto Rico in as many months, officially to "engage with service members and thank them for their outstanding support to regional missions," as reported by the Associated Press. Yet, the timing and scale of the military presence have fueled speculation about imminent action against Venezuela’s mainland.
The Trump administration’s justification for its campaign has centered on stopping the flow of narcotics into the United States. Since September, U.S. forces have launched 21 missile strikes on boats allegedly smuggling drugs from Venezuela, killing at least 83 people, according to multiple sources including Reuters. The campaign has now shifted focus: with maritime routes disrupted, Trump says traffickers are turning to land, and the U.S. is preparing to follow.
Not everyone in Washington is on board with this aggressive strategy. Thirteen Democratic senators penned a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, demanding transparency on the legal basis for the recent military strikes. "Few decisions are more consequential for a democracy than the use of lethal force," the letter read, urging the administration to "enhance transparency in the use of deadly force by our Nation’s military." There are also questions about congressional oversight. According to CNN, the administration has argued that it is not bound by decades-old war powers laws that would require cooperation with Congress, and a senior Justice Department official told lawmakers in November that lethal strikes on alleged drug traffickers could continue without congressional approval.
Earlier this month, administration officials told lawmakers in a classified briefing that there was no current legal justification for strikes inside Venezuela itself. The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel had produced an opinion justifying boat strikes, but not land operations. However, officials did not rule out future actions, keeping the door open for escalation.
On the diplomatic front, Trump’s strategy has been two-pronged: military pressure and political isolation. On November 24, the administration officially declared the Venezuelan-based Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization, a move that allows for fresh sanctions targeting President Nicolás Maduro and his allies’ assets and infrastructure. The U.S. accuses Maduro of heading the cartel, which it claims is responsible for trafficking drugs into the U.S. and Europe and for terrorist violence throughout the hemisphere. Caracas has firmly denied these allegations, with Venezuelan officials, including Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez, labeling the U.S. military buildup as an “imperialist” effort to seize the country’s oil and gas reserves, according to Newsweek and The Independent.
President Maduro, who has been in power since 2013 and is not recognized by more than 50 countries following his refusal to concede defeat in the 2024 presidential election, has struck a defiant tone. At a recent rally, he broke into dance and sang John Lennon’s "Imagine," calling for peace and urging supporters to heed the song’s message. Yet, he also warned that Venezuelans "must be ready to defend every inch of this blessed land from imperialist threat or aggression," brandishing a historical weapon during a speech, as reported by The Independent and Newsweek.
Opposition leaders in Venezuela have responded differently. Maria Corina Machado, the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize winner and unofficial leader of the anti-Maduro movement, has praised Trump’s hardline approach. "I totally support his strategy," Machado told The Independent. "And I’ve said on behalf of the Venezuelan people that we are very grateful. I think it is the right thing to do. It’s courageous. It’s visionary." She went further, describing Trump as the “biggest opportunity we’ve ever had” for regime change.
Meanwhile, the public reaction in the United States has been sharply divided. Social media lit up after Trump’s Thanksgiving announcement, with some CNN viewers branding the president a "lunatic" and raising alarms about a potential invasion. "When Americans start coming home in bodybags, you can thank the lunatic you have in the White House," one user posted. Others questioned whether Congress had approved any such escalation. Senator Cory Booker was blunt in his criticism, writing, "Invading Venezuela will do nothing to protect the United States and directly puts American lives at risk. We must stand up now and stop President Trump from dragging us into war with Venezuela."
Adding yet another layer to the intrigue, sources close to Trump told Axios that the president is considering direct talks with Maduro. While these discussions remain in the “planning stages,” the possibility has raised hopes among some observers that military action might not be as imminent as feared. "Nobody is planning to go in and shoot him or snatch him — at this point. I wouldn't say never, but that's not the plan right now," one source told Axios, referencing conspiracy theories about assassination plots. "In the meantime, we're going to blow up boats shipping drugs. We're going to stop the drug trafficking."
In a further twist, The Washington Post reported that the White House had even considered dropping leaflets over Caracas, offering $50 million for information leading to Maduro’s removal—a move reminiscent of psychological operations from past U.S. interventions.
As November draws to a close, the world is watching the Caribbean with bated breath. The U.S. military’s growing presence, the legal and political debates in Washington, and the stubborn defiance of Caracas all point to a region on the edge. Whether Trump’s next move will be diplomacy, further escalation, or something in between, remains uncertain. But for now, the stakes could hardly be higher.
