In a dramatic escalation of U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, President Donald Trump’s administration is weighing the possibility of launching direct military operations inside Venezuela to target cocaine facilities and drug trafficking routes, according to multiple U.S. officials cited by CNN. The move marks a significant shift in the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign against drug cartels in South America and raises the specter of a broader regional conflict.
Over the past month, the U.S. military has ramped up its activities in the region, deploying its most advanced aircraft carrier strike group and conducting a series of lethal strikes on alleged drug boats. These operations have resulted in the deaths of more than 40 people, underscoring the seriousness with which the administration is approaching the fight against narcotics trafficking.
Despite these aggressive measures, President Trump has not yet committed to launching strikes inside Venezuela itself. According to CNN, the administration is considering a range of options, including both military and diplomatic approaches. “There are plans on the table that the president is considering,” one administration official told CNN, noting that “he hasn’t ruled out diplomacy.” Another official involved in the discussions emphasized that while many proposals have been floated, the focus at the highest levels remains on disrupting the flow of drugs through Venezuela.
Trump’s rhetoric has grown increasingly bellicose in recent days. When asked on October 23, 2025, whether he would seek congressional approval for military campaigns targeting South American regimes accused of fueling America’s drug epidemic, Trump responded bluntly: “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.” According to CNN, Trump further stated he would not necessarily seek a formal declaration of war from Congress before launching such strikes, though he pledged to notify lawmakers about any operations on land.
The military buildup has been both swift and sweeping. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Navy’s Gerald R. Ford strike group—the most advanced carrier in the U.S. fleet—from its position in Europe to the Caribbean region. The Ford strike group, which docked near Split, Croatia, on October 21, 2025, is expected to take several days to reach operational range in the Caribbean. Even before its arrival, a significant percentage of U.S. naval assets had been shifted to U.S. Southern Command, the military branch responsible for the region. According to the United States Naval Institute’s fleet tracker, this includes the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, three guided-missile destroyers, an attack submarine, a special operations ship, a guided missile cruiser, and P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft.
Puerto Rico has emerged as a critical hub for the expanded U.S. military presence. The island now hosts ten F-35 fighter jets and at least three MQ-9 Reaper drones, as confirmed by Reuters images from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, shuttered since 2004, has been reopened and is once again operational, according to satellite imagery and on-the-ground photos. This rapid militarization underscores the administration’s determination to clamp down on drug trafficking in the Caribbean basin.
While the Trump administration frames these actions as necessary to counter the flow of cocaine into the United States, critics and international observers have pointed out that Venezuela is not a major cocaine producer. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the vast majority of coca crops—the raw material for cocaine—are cultivated in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) annual report released in March 2025 did not mention Venezuela in its discussion of major cocaine trafficking routes, instead highlighting Ecuador, Central America, and Mexico.
Nevertheless, administration officials maintain that some drug trafficking does pass through Venezuela, and they have sought to link President Nicolás Maduro directly to the trade. Maduro was indicted in 2020 on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. “Nicolás Maduro, is an indicted drug trafficker in the United States, and he’s a fugitive of American justice,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted during a September trip to Ecuador, as reported by CNN.
The administration’s strategy appears to be twofold: disrupt drug shipments and exert pressure on the Maduro regime. Some officials hope that by targeting the illicit revenue streams that sustain those close to Maduro, they may prompt key figures within the regime to consider ousting the Venezuelan leader. According to sources cited by CNN, this approach is viewed as a potential pathway to regime change, though the risks of escalation and unintended consequences remain high.
Despite the saber-rattling, President Trump is reportedly “not in a rush” to make a final decision on launching strikes inside Venezuela, as his attention is currently focused on an official trip to Asia and ongoing negotiations with Russia and Ukraine aimed at ending their war. Diplomatic avenues have not been entirely closed off; earlier attempts to engage with Maduro and top Venezuelan officials were led by special presidential envoy Richard Grenell, but those talks were called off earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the U.S. campaign against drug boats continues unabated. The latest operation, carried out overnight in the Caribbean, resulted in the deaths of six individuals aboard a vessel allegedly smuggling narcotics. This brings the total number of targeted boats to ten and the number of people killed to 43 since the campaign began in September 2025, according to Defense Secretary Hegseth.
The scale and intensity of the U.S. military deployment have raised questions about the true intent of the Trump administration in the region. Pentagon press secretary Sean Parnell stated on X that the movement of the Gerald R. Ford strike group and its air wing was intended to “dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations and counter narco-terrorism.” Yet, the prospect of direct military intervention in Venezuela has alarmed regional governments and international observers, who worry about the potential for a wider conflict.
Adding to the uncertainty, President Maduro has released a video statement in English pleading for peace, a move seen by some as an attempt to rally international support and avert a military confrontation.
As the world watches developments in the Caribbean, the Trump administration’s next steps remain uncertain. The combination of military muscle, covert operations, and diplomatic maneuvering suggests a high-stakes gamble with far-reaching implications—not just for Venezuela and the United States, but for the stability of the entire region.
