US military planners are actively considering a dramatic escalation in their ongoing campaign against drug trafficking in the Caribbean, with options on the table for direct drone strikes inside Venezuela. According to detailed reports from NBC News, The Associated Press, and The Independent, these plans—still awaiting President Donald Trump’s approval—could be implemented within weeks, marking a potentially historic turning point in the already fraught relationship between Washington and Caracas.
The proposals, as confirmed by multiple US officials and sources familiar with the discussions, focus on using precision drone strikes to target drug-trafficking leaders, crews, and suspected drug production sites within Venezuela. While the plans have not yet been greenlit by the president, their very existence signals a sharp escalation in US posture toward the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—a man already indicted by the US Justice Department on drug trafficking charges and subject to a $50 million bounty for information leading to his arrest.
For context, the US has not been idle in the region. Over the past several weeks, the Trump administration has carried out at least three strikes on small vessels in the Caribbean, suspected of ferrying drugs and traffickers. According to the New York Times, at least 17 Venezuelans have been killed in these operations, with the US military stating that these were “precision strikes against a drug vessel operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization.” However, not all of these claims have been independently verified, and officials in the Dominican Republic admitted that drugs were only recovered from the water after one such strike.
The military build-up in the Caribbean is substantial. At least eight US naval vessels and more than 4,000 personnel have been deployed to the region, bolstered by F-35 jets stationed in Puerto Rico and even a nuclear-powered submarine patrolling nearby waters. A Pentagon source told NBC News, “You don’t move that many resources down there without looking at all options.” The message is clear: the US is prepared for a broad range of contingencies, from sanctions and currency swaps to kinetic military action.
President Trump, when pressed for comment by media outlets, referred to his prior statements, reiterating, “We’ll see what happens. Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs. It’s not acceptable.” A senior US official echoed this sentiment, telling NBC News, “The president is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”
The rationale for such a muscular approach, according to US officials, is twofold. First, they argue that Venezuela has become a key transit point for drugs—especially cocaine and fentanyl precursors—moving northward to the United States. While Venezuela itself is not a major producer of cocaine, American authorities insist that criminal groups there are deeply involved in trafficking operations, sending both narcotics and gang members toward US borders. Second, some in the administration see this as a chance to pressure Maduro and, perhaps, to prompt missteps that could weaken his grip on power—without the need for American boots on the ground.
Yet, the prospect of direct strikes inside Venezuela has ignited fierce debate and sharp warnings. In Caracas, President Maduro has responded with a flurry of emergency preparedness drills, urging civilians to join militias and warning that he might invoke emergency powers—potentially suspending constitutional guarantees. Thousands of Venezuelans have reportedly joined civilian militias in response to his call, according to AFP. The Venezuelan military has deployed Russian-made Buk M2 medium-range surface-to-air missile systems near Caracas and conducted exercises near Trinidad & Tobago, signaling its readiness to defend the country’s sovereignty.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto took the matter to the United Nations, denouncing the US as having an “illegal and completely immoral military threat hanging over our heads.” He accused Washington of seeking war “to rob Venezuela’s immeasurable oil and gas wealth,” a charge Maduro has repeated, dismissing the US’s drug trafficking accusations as a “flimsy pretense for trying to enact regime change.” Pinto called the claims against Maduro and Venezuela “vulgar and perverse lies” designed to “justify an atrocious, extravagant and immoral multibillion-dollar military threat,” according to Al Jazeera.
Human rights groups and UN experts have also weighed in, sharply criticizing recent US strikes in the Caribbean. Some UN experts labeled these actions “extrajudicial executions,” a phrase that’s intensified scrutiny over any potential expansion of military operations onto Venezuelan soil. The legal and geopolitical ramifications of such a move would be enormous, likely drawing condemnation from regional governments and international organizations.
Experts and regional analysts have cautioned against the risks. Venezuelan analyst Aníbal Sánchez Ismayel told NBC News that an attack on Venezuelan territory “would have consequences from diplomatic protests to an increase in political persecutions of those they classify as collaborators, to further uniting the population with the need to defend sovereignty.” History provides some context here: in 2020, a failed coup attempt known as Operation Gideon—led by Venezuelan opposition figures and American mercenaries—ended in disaster, with two former Green Berets and more than 80 Venezuelan dissidents captured by Maduro’s forces.
Interestingly, even as military options are considered, diplomatic channels remain open. NBC News reports that Washington and Caracas have been communicating through Middle Eastern intermediaries about possible concessions Maduro might make to remain in power. While the identities of these go-betweens have not been disclosed, officials describe them as allied nations. Former US officials, including special presidential envoy Ric Grenell, are said to be pushing for nonmilitary solutions and maintain regular contact with the White House.
Despite the saber-rattling, the US has continued some cooperation with Venezuelan authorities. One official noted that 54 deportation flights had been coordinated with Venezuela through the week ending September 26, 2025, underscoring the complexity of the relationship between the two nations.
Ultimately, the Trump administration insists it is weighing all options—military and diplomatic alike. As one person familiar with the administration’s thinking told NBC News, officials are acutely aware of the operational and strategic challenges involved in maintaining a massive military presence in the Caribbean “forever.” The coming weeks may reveal whether Washington chooses to escalate further or seeks a negotiated off-ramp to this high-stakes standoff.
For now, the world watches as the US weighs its next move, with the fate of US-Venezuela relations—and the stability of the wider region—hanging in the balance.