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The airstrikes, where drug traffickers inside Venezuela will be targeted, could begin within weeks.
The Trump administration believes Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is not doing enough to stop the alleged flow of drugs from Venezuela to the US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
US army officials are exploring options to target drug traffickers inside Venezuela and conduct airstrikes within the South American country “in a matter of weeks”.
According to NBC News, who first reported the development, US President Donald Trump “has not approved anything yet”. Officials told the broadcaster that the reason behind US’ military escalation is because Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to the Trump administration, is “not doing enough to stop the flow of illegal drugs out of his country”.
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Trump has deployed eight warships and a nuclear-powered submarine to the southern Caribbean as part of a stated plan to combat drug trafficking.
US forces have destroyed at least three suspected drug boats in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing over a dozen people in a move decried as “extrajudicial execution” by UN experts.
The US President claimed that those three boats were from Venezuela and were allegedly carrying narcotics smugglers and drugs that could threaten Americans, in a post on Truth Social. The Trump administration is yet to provide evidence that drugs were on all those boats.
However, a Dominican official told NBC News that drugs were found in the water after one strike.
American officials told the broadcaster that the plans involved drone strikes against drugs labs and drug trafficking groups’ members and leadership.
Trump also vowed to obliterate drug smugglers after the strikes while addressing the UN.
“To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence,” Trump told the UN General Assembly.
The White House earlier this month also dismissed a letter from Maduro seeking dialogue with President Donald Trump, saying that it was full of “lies.”
“There were a lot of lies that were repeated by Maduro in that letter, and the administration’s position on Venezuela has not changed,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing, describing the Venezuelan President as “illegitimate”.
About the Author
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
September 29, 2025, 16:25 IST
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