The Trump administration is reportedly considering military action against Venezuela to stop the flow of dangerous drugs into the United States.
Military sources told journalist Ken Klippenstein that the White House could launch strikes on Venezuela “if the regime of Nicolás Maduro doesn’t step up pressure on drug cartels.”
Attacks could come if Venezuela threatens U.S. forces in the Caribbean, either by shooting down Venezuelan military aircraft or by bombing Venezuelan military airfields.
This past week, Venezuelan air force jets buzzed Navy ships gathering north of Venezuela. Marine Corps AV-8B fighter jets are deployed aboard the amphibious group at sea and Air Force F-35 fighter aircraft have also moved to Puerto Rico, positioning closer to the country.
Disabling a military airfield is considered one of the lowest risk operations that could be undertaken if the decision is made to attack Venezuela itself, military sources say. Last month as part of the Emerald Warrior 25.2 war game, Air Force commandos rehearsed just such a mission, parachuting three miles off the coast of St. Croix before moving to Henry E. Rohlsen airport. The commandos cleared the runways, established perimeter security and took control of the tower “within minutes”, the Pentagon says.
President Maduro says the US military buildup in the Caribbean is aimed at Venezuela's oil, gas and gold reserves, which are among the biggest in the world. He says the US is creating “Hollywood stories” about narco-trafficking to portray him as the villain and justify… pic.twitter.com/GjRagxH3rV
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) September 9, 2025
Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a message to troops told them they are “on mission” and that “Narco terrorists and drug traffickers are on notice.”
“We will no longer allow the poisoning of the American people. And the full power of the American military — used precisely with a clear mission — will be used to ensure the American people are kept safe,” Hegseth added.
A message to our warfighters from the Secretary of War. pic.twitter.com/UVbsvAuNmR
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) September 8, 2025
Last week, the White House ordered an airstrike on a boat near Venezuela that was full of cartel operatives who were allegedly smuggling drugs to the United States. “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military,” Vice President JD Vance wrote in a post on X.
The strike came after President Donald Trump ordered US warships to the southern Caribbean to crack down on drug cartels. In response, Maduro deployed 15,000 police and military officers to the Colombian border with “an unspecified number of boats, aircraft and drones.”