U.S. Confrontation With Venezuela
The Trump administration recently informed Congress that the United States is in a formal “armed conflict” against drug cartels it has labeled as “unlawful armed combatants.” The United States initiated a military campaign against Venezuelan drug cartels in September, claiming cocaine smuggling by the “narco-terrorists” poses an imminent threat to the United States. However, legal experts have cautioned that there is no clear authority to use military force against drug traffickers and cartels, even if some are designated as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). The move marks a sharp departure from U.S. practice, which has traditionally relied on law enforcement tools such as interdiction and seizures rather than direct military operations.
Background
Hugo Chávez came to power in 1998 and leveraged Venezuela’s immense oil reserves and rising crude prices to provide subsidized goods and services to the Venezuelan people, cutting the extreme poverty rate by 15 percent. However, years of economic mismanagement and corruption under Chávez transformed the capably managed state-owned PDVSA oil company into a dysfunctional, corrupt, and bloated institution run by military and political allies that lacked experienced technicians. Chávez also deepened Venezuela’s dependence on oil exports, with fuel as a percentage of total exports rising from around 71 percent in 1998 to nearly 98 percent in 2013. The collapse of global oil prices in 2014 led to a rapid economic decline.
Following Chávez’s death in 2013, then–Vice President Nicolás Maduro assumed the presidency and was subsequently elected to the office. His government attempted to address the economic crisis by printing money. This policy pushed the country into years-long hyperinflation, which was on pace to hit ten million percent in 2019 and led to a de facto two-currency system in which the U.S. dollar is dominant. By 2014, large-scale anti-government protests erupted across the country. In 2015, voters expressed dissatisfaction by electing the first opposition-controlled National Assembly in two decades, setting the stage for a standoff between the legislature and Maduro.
Maduro was reelected to a second six-year term in May 2018, despite boycotts and accusations of fraud in a widely condemned election. Two weeks after Maduro was sworn in, the National Assembly declared his election illegitimate, and opposition leader Juan Guaidó announced that he would assume the office of interim president until free and fair elections could be held, in accordance with the succession rules outlined in the 1999 constitution. Guaidó was quickly recognized as interim president by the United States, Canada, most of the European Union, and the Organization of American States. However, Maduro retained the support of several major countries, including China, Cuba, Russia, and Turkey.
The resulting political standoff saw an increase in U.S. sanctions against the Maduro government, including targeting oil shipments to Cuba—Maduro has increasingly relied on Cuban military and intelligence support to stay in power—as well as threats of sanctions on third parties linked to Venezuela’s oil sector. Venezuela’s allies and partners have undercut U.S. efforts to exert pressure on the country. Russia has continued to support the Maduro government, sending Russian troops to Venezuela in March 2019 and helping the government evade sanctions on the oil industry. China has continued to back the Maduro government, offering to help rebuild the national power grid.
Amid a humanitarian crisis, thousands fled the country daily by early 2019, mostly on foot. Exacerbating Venezuela’s economic woes, its poorly maintained infrastructure led to nationwide blackouts in March 2019, leaving millions without power. Moreover, because the government has been unable to provide social services, Venezuelans face severe food and medicine shortages and the continuing spread of infectious diseases. In April 2019, after years of denying the existence of a humanitarian crisis and refusing to allow foreign aid to enter the country—calling aid shipments a political ploy by the United States—Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro allowed the entry of a shipment of emergency supplies from the Red Cross. However, the U.S. State Department maintains deep concerns regarding Maduro’s human rights record, over which he is being investigated for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the employment of armed gangs, known as colectivos, to suppress opposition.
Since the crisis escalated in 2015, an estimated eight million Venezuelans have fled the country, with 85 percent resettling in other Latin American countries, including at least three million in Colombia alone. Armed groups operating across the porous Colombia-Venezuela border have further worsened security conditions for migrants. The exodus has also caused a regional humanitarian crisis as neighboring governments have struggled to absorb refugees and asylum seekers and failed to provide access to services.
Despite the increased pressure and sanctions of early 2019, Maduro managed to maintain and even solidify his grip on power. Maduro suddenly implemented economic reforms, including ending price controls, allowing dollar transactions, slashing bolivar currency circulation, initiating privatizations, and starting to publish economic indicators after a four-year hiatus. In September 2021, Venezuela announced the launch of a new currency, dropping six zeros from its bolivar notes. While these drastic shifts in economic policy left Venezuelans struggling to secure bolivars and adapt in the short term, hyperinflation slightly subsided. The bolivar stabilized in early 2022, with annualized inflation briefly falling below 50 percent, though more than 60 percent of transactions were carried out in dollars. Inflation began to rise again in late 2022, and by 2023, consumer prices were tripling annually, an improvement from hyperinflation but still one of the highest inflation rates in the world.
Politically, international support for interim president Guaidó weakened, with the Biden administration following the lead of the Venezuelan opposition in revoking recognition of Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. Meanwhile, Maduro’s position somewhat recovered internationally. Western officials reopened dialogue, and he has benefited from the election of leaders who are more friendly to him in Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil.
After years of boycotts and challenges to maintaining unity, the opposition decided to contest the 2024 presidential election. Maria Corina Machado emerged as the most popular opposition figure, though the government barred her from holding public office. Edmundo González Urrutia became the opposition frontrunner. Maduro agreed to hold free and fair elections in 2024 in exchange for oil sanctions relief from the United States. But Maduro’s widespread electoral fraud, including blocking independent election observers and banning popular opposition candidates, led the United States to reimpose sanctions.
Despite strong evidence—including more than 80 percent of polling-station tally sheets collected independently by the opposition—indicating that opposition candidate Edmundo González won by a wide margin, the government-controlled National Electoral Council declared Nicolás Maduro the winner in a contested result. The United States, Canada, the European Union, and other countries and international bodies condemned the vote as neither free nor fair, with several recognizing González as president-elect. Meanwhile, Maduro proceeded with a third term, which the Supreme Court quickly certified.
Recent Developments
President Donald Trump has revived his “maximum pressure” campaign against Venezuela, accusing the country of trafficking vast amounts of cocaine into the United States. During Trump’s first term, his administration charged Maduro with leading the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns), a loose criminal network tied to senior Venezuelan officials who have allegedly profited from drug trafficking and extortion. Since returning to office, the Trump administration has labeled both Cartel de los Soles and the Tren de Aragua gang as FTOs. In August 2025, Trump signed a secret directive authorizing the Pentagon to use military force against select Latin American drug cartels. He also doubled the U.S. bounty on Maduro to $50 million, alleging the Venezuelan leader’s direct role in smuggling operations. Shortly afterward, the United States deployed a fleet of naval warships carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines toward Venezuelan waters.
On September 2, Trump announced that U.S. forces struck what he claimed was a Tren de Aragua boat trafficking cocaine to the United States, killing eleven people. In a break from precedent, the mission was conducted without Coast Guard involvement and relied solely on the Navy. The legal basis for the strike remains contested, as law enforcement officers are only authorized to use lethal force against individuals posing an imminent threat during maritime interdictions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the action and said the strikes would continue, arguing that drug seizures alone have failed to deter cartels.
Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers
Trump said the naval blockade would apply to sanctioned oil tankers coming to and from Venezuela and characterized the country’s government as a foreign terrorist organization (NYT). His announcement, posted on social media, also claimed that Venezuela stole oil and land from the United States, called President Nicolás Maduro’s administration illegitimate, and said it was using stolen oil to finance activities like drug and human trafficking (Truth Social). In spite of Trump’s social media post, it is the State Department and not the White House that has the authority to legally designate Venezuela as a foreign terrorist organization; it has never done so for any foreign country, and did not immediately comment following Trump’s social media post (WaPo). Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez called Trump’s post a violation of international law and pledged to denounce it at the United Nations (Instagram).
U.S. Military Strikes Three More Boats
U.S. Southern Command said the strikes killed eight people across the three alleged drug smuggling boats (CBS). Meanwhile, President Trump declared illegal fentanyl and its core precursor chemicals to be weapons of mass destruction in an executive order; he directed agencies to probe and prosecute fentanyl trafficking, and to consider devoting military resources to the problem (White House).
New U.S. Sanctions Targeting Venezuela
The United States sanctioned three of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s family members, six shipping companies, and six ships, calling them part of a network that supports Venezuela’s “narco-terrorist regime” (Treasury). The move follows yesterday’s seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker off the country's coast (X).
United States Seizes Oil Tanker Near Venezuela
The tanker was being used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran, Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on social media; Bondi wrote that the tanker had been sanctioned for multiple years due to its involvement in the illicit transport of oil for foreign terrorist organizations (X). Asked at a White House event what would happen to the oil aboard, U.S. President Donald Trump replied the United States would likely keep it (Reuters). The crew did not resist the seizure, which was carried out with no casualties, three unnamed U.S. officials told the New York Times; they said more seizures could occur in the coming weeks as part of an effort to strip Venezuela of its oil revenue (NYT). Venezuela’s government called the incident “an act of international piracy,” vowing to denounce it to international bodies (AP). Russian President Vladimir Putin called Maduro shortly after the strikes to express his support for the Venezuelan government and to commit to continued expansion of bilateral ties (Bloomberg). Separately, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, daughter of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo today on her mother’s behalf (NPR). She delivered a speech written by María Corina that celebrated the history of Venezuelan democracy and the struggle to regain it in recent years; she called democracy a “deliberate, personal choice” that “must be renewed every day” (Nobel Prize). Following uncertainty over whether María Corina—who has been in hiding—would travel to Oslo, the Nobel Institute confirmed earlier today she was safe and “will be with us in Oslo,” but would not attend the ceremony (Nobel Prize).
Push for New War Powers Resolution
Senators opposed to the U.S. campaign in Venezuela plan to reintroduce a war powers resolution restricting the White House’s actions, as President Donald Trump suggests he is considering a deployment of U.S. ground troops to the country (Politico). Additionally, Trump told Politico in an interview published Tuesday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered,” the latest indication that the United States hopes to oust him (Politico). Meanwhile, two U.S. Navy jets flew a half-hour training mission over the Gulf of Venezuela, remaining in international airspace but marking the closest U.S. warplanes have come to the country during the current pressure campaign (AP).
National Security Officials Brief Congress on Venezuela Campaign
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chair General Dan Caine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will speak with top lawmakers as scrutiny intensifies over a follow-up strike on a suspected drug vessel with unarmed survivors (WaPo). Lawmakers are threatening to withhold travel funds from Hegseth if he refuses to release the video of the strike (BBC). Admiral Alvin Holsey, who will retire early as commander of U.S. Southern Command, also briefed lawmakers in a separate call (AP). Meanwhile, a Cuban official denied media reports last week that it had communicated with U.S. officials about the prospects of an overthrow of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, adding that Havana continues to reject the U.S. campaign (Reuters).
New National Security Strategy Emphasizes Western Hemisphere
Trump’s new strategy devotes the bulk of its attention to the Western Hemisphere, where it aims to reduce migration, fight crime, and preserve access to critical supply chains; it reasserts the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, rejecting external influence in the region (White House). Separately, Pentagon officials showed a closed-door meeting of lawmakers video footage of a controversial follow-up action on September 2 that followed an initial U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean (NYT). After the first strike killed nine passengers, two survivors were trying unsuccessfully to flip over a portion of the capsized boat when the second strike killed them, multiple media outlets reported (WaPo). Republican lawmakers praised the Pentagon’s actions, while Democrats said the video confirmed their concerns about the strike being improper (AP). Lawmakers examined an overview of the Pentagon directive governing U.S. strikes on the drug vessels, as they scrutinize the legality of the military campaign (PBS). Meanwhile, the U.S. military conducted another strike in the region today, targeting an alleged drug boat and killing four individuals (Reuters).
Talks With Maduro
Brazilian billionaire Joesley Batista flew to Caracas last week to try to persuade Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to step down, Bloomberg reported; the Trump administration was reportedly aware of Batista’s actions, though the Batista family holding company said he was not acting as a representative of any government (Bloomberg). Batista personally mediated bilateral tensions between Trump and the Brazilian government earlier this year (Reuters).
Trump’s Warning of Strikes
The United States will begin land strikes on alleged drug traffickers “very soon,” Trump said at a cabinet meeting (C-Span). He did not specify which country or armed group he was referring to, though his comments echoed his previous threats to target alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers on land (CNN). Until now, Trump’s military campaign in Latin America has focused its firepower on sea targets (CFR). A bipartisan group of senators said they would move to force a vote to block military action if the Trump administration launches an attack inside Venezuela without congressional authorization (Reuters).
Trump Discusses Venezuela Policy With Advisors
There was no immediate policy announcement after the meeting, though for weeks U.S. officials and Trump himself have suggested their anti-drug campaign in the region could include military action inside Venezuela (CNN). Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Washington of trying to oust him (Sky News). Citing four unnamed sources, Reuters reported that Trump held a call last month with Maduro that included discussion of a potential deal for Maduro to leave power, though Trump reportedly rejected the terms sought by Maduro (Reuters). Maduro—whose latest election was disputed—denounced U.S. policy as a form of colonialism at a Caracas rally attended by thousands (Al Jazeera). Meanwhile, the administration is increasingly fielding questions from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers over the killing of survivors of a boat strike on September 2 (Politico). The White House said that U.S. Navy Admiral Frank Mitchell Bradley conducted the strikes (White House). While the Pentagon’s manual on the law of war says that “orders to fire upon the shipwrecked would be clearly illegal,” the White House press secretary both denied that Hegseth gave such an order and claimed that Bradley acted legally (DoD). U.S. military presence around Latin America now includes some fifteen thousand troops and the largest U.S. aircraft carrier (NPR).
Venezuelan Inquiry Into U.S. Strikes
Venezuela’s National Assembly said it will launch a parliamentary investigation into U.S. operations targeting vessels linked to alleged drug smuggling near Venezuelan waters, amid reports claiming survivors of a September strike were deliberately killed in a follow-up attack (Reuters). In the United States, bipartisan calls increased to examine U.S. military operations after these claims, with House and Senate armed services leaders opening formal inquiries (AP). Additionally, Trump told reporters that he had spoken directly to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, though he provided no further details (C-Span). The New York Times reported the conversation occurred the week of November 17 (NYT). When reporters asked whether his social media post yesterday—suggesting airlines should treat Venezuelan airspace as closed—implied imminent airstrikes, Trump responded that people should not “read anything into it” (CNN).
WaPo: Hegseth Authorized Killing of All Passengers on Caribbean Boat
The September 2 incident included more than one strike, and the Post report prompted pledges from lawmakers to investigate what happened (WaPo). Venezuelan authorities have accelerated intelligence activity in Sucre, the home state of many of the suspected drug traffickers killed in recent U.S. strikes; the Venezuelan government did not explain the aim of these tightened security measures, though families of those killed reported home searches and questioning from security agents (Reuters). Separately, Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister acknowledged that U.S. Marines are operating at Tobago’s airport to improve surveillance infrastructure after previously saying no American troops remained in the country, which analysts suggest Washington may use as a base for operations against Venezuela (AP).
Trump Again Hints at Land Strikes
U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States plans to move beyond maritime interdictions and begin targeting suspected drug networks operating on Venezuelan territory, as the U.S. regional military buildup continues (Reuters). Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the USS Gerald R. Ford, which remains in the Caribbean (Department of Defense).
U.S. Military Chief Visits Caribbean
General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, toured U.S. forces stationed in Puerto Rico and aboard a Navy warship amid an expanded regional U.S. footprint, as President Donald Trump considers escalating military action against Venezuela (AP). In Washington, the United States formally designated the Cartel de los Soles as a terror organization after indicating last week that it would do so, claiming the group is linked to senior Venezuelan officials; Caracas dismissed the move as fabricated and politically motivated (Reuters).
Six Airlines Indefinitely Suspend Flights to Venezuela
The president of the Airlines Association in Venezuela said the decision was made after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning Friday regarding potential military activity (AP). The FAA warned pilots of “heightened military activity in or around Venezuela” that could pose risks to aircraft “at all altitudes” (FAA). Washington has been moving military assets to the region for months (CFR). U.S. officials also said Washington is moving towards a new phase in its campaign against the Venezuelan government over the next few days, beginning with new, expanded covert measures, with the complete overthrow of President Nicolás Maduro remaining under consideration (Reuters).
U.S. War Game on Venezuela
U.S. officials conducted an exercise during Trump’s first term simulating what would happen if Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was deposed, the New York Times reported; it forecast a violent period in which rival political factions and guerrilla groups fought for control of the country (NYT). Maduro has said he believes the U.S. military buildup in Latin America aims to oust him (Reuters). Separately, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that Washington’s labeling of the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, which it alleges is tied to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, opens new legal avenues for U.S. military action; the designation followed U.S. claims that the cartel collaborates with the Tren de Aragua gang to traffic drugs (Reuters).
Trump Signals Openness to Talks With Maduro
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington may initiate discussions with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro even as the United States ramped up military pressure in the Caribbean and designated Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, accusing Maduro of heading it (Reuters). The U.S. military also announced that it conducted a new airstrike in the eastern Pacific, killing three alleged drug traffickers (CBS/AP). The USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in the Caribbean Sea, prompting further speculation about an increase in U.S. intervention (Politico).
White House Meetings on Venezuela
Senior U.S. officials met repeatedly this week to review potential military options in Venezuela, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he has “largely made up his mind” on next steps, as legal experts and allies question the legitimacy of regional military operations (Reuters).
Trump Administration Ramping up Counternarcotics Campaign in Latin America
Hegseth said that Operation Southern Spear aims to “remov[e] terrorists from our hemisphere” and defend the United States from drugs, while multiple outlets reported the Pentagon conducted its twentieth deadly strike in recent weeks on an alleged drug boat (X; CBS). Southern Spear will deploy robotic and autonomous systems to boost its counternarcotics efforts, Naval Commander Foster Edwards told the Miami Herald; the Navy said it would use robotic interceptor boats and surveillance aircraft (Miami Herald). Separately, the attorney general of Trinidad and Tobago told the Financial Times the United States planned to “intensify exercises” in his country (FT). The escalation comes as the family of a Colombian man killed in a recent U.S. boat strike prepares legal action, the New York Times reported; the family of Colombian man Alejandro Carranza, killed in one of the September strikes, maintains he was a fisherman who sometimes took jobs piloting boats for other people (NYT).
Rubio Rejects Claims Against U.S. Campaign in Venezuela
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio refuted European concerns about the campaign’s legality and rejected reports that Britain had suspended some intelligence cooperation with the United States over those concerns (Reuters).
U.S. Strikes in the Eastern Pacific Kill Six
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strike targeted two vessels linked to narcotics trafficking (Reuters). Meanwhile, Colombia vowed to suspend all intelligence-sharing with the United States over Trump’s boat strikes near South America (X). CNN and the Guardian reported the UK would also suspend some intelligence-sharing over the same concern; the UK controls several intelligence assets in the Caribbean (Guardian). Unnamed sources told CNN that British officials believe the Trump administration’s strikes violate international law (CNN). Amid Trump’s militarized anti-drug campaign, the Navy said that the United States’ largest aircraft carrier strike group had arrived in the region (U.S. Navy). Reuters reported that the Venezuelan government is preparing a guerrilla-style response to a possible U.S. military attack, employing antiquated Russian military equipment as its conventional military suffers from shortages in firepower and funding (Reuters).
Spanish Raid Against Tren de Aragua
Spanish authorities arrested thirteen people across multiple cities suspected of being members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua crime group; the gang is among those the Trump administration recently designated as terrorist organizations (AP). Many Venezuelans who have fled the country’s economic crisis in recent years have gone to Spain (Reuters).
War Powers Resolution Fails
The Senate voted down a proposed resolution that would have required congressional approval for military action against Venezuela; the 49-51 vote was largely along party lines, with only two Republicans breaking with the Trump administration (Politico). It was the second time in a month that a resolution to assert congressional power over the use of military force failed (NYT). U.S. President Donald Trump has said that weeks of deadly U.S. strikes on boats near South and Central America constitute an “armed conflict” against drug groups, but Congress has not authorized these military actions (CFR). The U.S. military struck an alleged drug-trafficking vessel for the seventeenth time on Thursday, killing three (AP).
Democratic Lawmakers Unsatisfied by Trump Administration’s Strike Justifications
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a closed-door briefing to allay concerns ahead of a Thursday Senate vote to prevent military action in Venezuela without Congressional authorization; Democratic lawmakers said the Trump administration still has not clarified the legal basis, scope, or objective of its widening campaign against alleged drug traffickers (NYT). Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jim Risch (R-ID) said the administration had kept lawmakers “fully advised” and “fully satisfied” (NPR).
U.S. Strike Kills Two People in Eastern Pacific
This brings the death toll from U.S. strikes near South America to at least sixty-six people in sixteen strikes (X). The New York Times reported that some White House advisors are pushing to oust Maduro and developing plans for potential military action; a White House spokesperson said Trump is targeting “narcoterrorists” and “anything else is speculation” (NYT).
More U.S. Strikes in the Caribbean
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. military conducted an airstrike targeting a vessel accused of drug trafficking in the Caribbean, killing all three men aboard (Reuters). President Donald Trump said he does not expect the United States to enter a war with Venezuela despite escalating military activity in the Caribbean; still, he reiterated criticisms of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and suggested the Venezuelan leader may not remain in power much longer (The Hill).
Venezuelan Opposition Divided Over U.S. Intervention
Rival opposition leaders remain split as the United States escalates regional military deployments and covert pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with María Corina Machado backing a harder line and Henrique Capriles urging renewed talks; the rift comes amid arrests, exile, and citizenship challenges targeting dissidents (Reuters). Meanwhile, in the United States, Senate leaders said the Pentagon has ignored multiple requests for further information behind U.S. military activity in the region; the Pentagon has identified possible targets within Venezuelan land, even as U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he was not considering land strikes (NYT).
Pentagon Briefs Lawmakers on Boat Strikes
Pentagon officials told lawmakers they did not need to “positively” identify people on alleged drug boats before bombing them, only conclude they were linked to drug trafficking within three degrees of separation, Representative Sara Jacobs (D-CA) said after an intelligence briefing (NYT). Jacobs and others have argued that the strikes appear illegal, an allegation the Trump administration has disputed; both Democrats and Republicans have sought more details on the strikes (CNN).
U.S. Military Strikes Target Four Alleged Drug Boats in Eastern Pacific
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media post that the U.S. military killed fourteen people it claims were drug smugglers on Monday (Reuters). Hegseth said a Mexican search and rescue team rescued one survivor; Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Mexico does “not agree” with the boat attacks (LA Times). U.S. military strikes have now killed fifty-seven people since September (BBC). Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that a Homeland Security agent secretly attempted to persuade Nicolás Maduro’s chief pilot to divert the president’s aircraft for a U.S. arrest on narcotrafficking charges; the effort occurred alongside Trump-authorized covert actions and a doubled $50 million reward for Maduro’s capture, though the pilot ultimately rejected the approach (AP). Separately, Reuters reported that U.S. military personnel involved in the U.S. confrontation with Venezuela have been required to sign non-disclosure agreements, raising further concerns in Congress about secrecy and continued operational escalation (Reuters).
Venezuela-Trinidad Relations Deteriorate Amid U.S. Confrontation
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the immediate freeze of joint natural gas projects with Trinidad and Tobago, accusing Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of aligning with U.S. efforts to pressure Caracas after a U.S. warship docked in Port of Spain (Reuters).
U.S. and Trinidad Military Exercises
Venezuela accused the CIA and Trinidad and Tobago of coordinating a “false flag” operation to justify military confrontation, referring to U.S.-Trinidad naval drills in the Caribbean, as it claimed that it detained U.S.-backed mercenaries supporting the operation; the charge follows Trump’s confirmation of new covert operations against Caracas (Reuters).
Maduro Condemns U.S. Military Activities
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro claimed the United States is “fabricating” a war as the USS Gerald R. Ford approaches Venezuelan waters; Maduro also began legal proceedings to strip exiled opposition leader Leopoldo López of his nationality for supporting U.S. military deployments (AP).
Hegseth Orders Warships to Latin America
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the deployment of the aircraft carrier Gerald Ford and its corresponding warships and attack planes to waters off of Latin America (NYT). Hegseth also said a U.S. strike overnight destroyed a vessel linked to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, killing six people; the attack was the first conducted at night, as the Trump administration continues comparing its campaign to the post-9/11 war on terror (AP). Hegseth likewise justified a recent U.S. decision to repatriate the survivors of a different Caribbean strike by citing protocols during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (Reuters). Still, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed a declaration of war against the cartels would be unnecessary, even as he added that strikes on land would soon begin (Guardian). Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warned of mass resistance if the United States intervened militarily within Venezuelan land (CNN). Separately, the Trump administration sanctioned Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family, and his interior minister, saying that Petro allowed drug trafficking to “flourish” (Treasury). Petro vowed to fight the sanctions and maintained he had long worked to counter drug trafficking; the sanctions followed Petro’s criticism of Trump’s military campaign against alleged drug boats from Latin America (CNN).
U.S. Military Bombs Two Boats in Pacific Ocean
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed the boats carried “narco-terrorists” without specifying the name of their group or the substance they were allegedly trafficking; the geographic expansion of the Trump administration’s campaign against alleged drug boats comes amid domestic and international calls for more robust evidence justifying the strikes (FT). He did not say which country the boats departed from but vowed the strikes would “continue, day after day” (The Hill). Washington has now reported killing thirty-seven people without identifying them or providing proof of drug-related activity (BBC). Trump claimed that his actions were legal and said the United States might also hit land targets; if the military took that step, Trump said that his administration would “probably” explain the operations to Congress (NYT).
UN Experts Condemn U.S. Strikes in the Carribean
A panel of UN human rights experts said recent U.S. attacks on suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean violated international law and amounted to “extrajudicial executions,” warning that both covert and direct military action against Venezuela would further breach the UN Charter (Reuters).
U.S. Navy Captures Survivors From Caribbean Strike
The U.S. Navy is detaining two people aboard a warship in international waters after an earlier strike targeted their semi-submersible vessel, which U.S. officials said was involved in drug trafficking; the incident marks the first in which a strike left survivors and is raising difficult legal choices about whether to treat them as wartime detainees, hand them to civilian prosecutors, or release them (NYT).
Venezuela Appeals to UN Security Council
Venezuela urged the UN Security Council to rule that recent U.S. attacks on vessels near its coast violated international law, claiming the strikes killed twenty-seven civilians; President Nicolás Maduro denounced the Trump administration for openly authorizing CIA operations against his government, while Washington defended its actions as self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter (Reuters). The Associated Press reported that Venezuela had offered the United States a deal in which President Nicolás Maduro would resign in three years before transferring power to Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who would finish Maduro’s term but not seek reelection; the Trump administration dismissed the offer, maintaining that Maduro’s government lacks legitimacy (AP). Meanwhile, Alvin Holsey, who is responsible for U.S. forces in Latin America, including the campaign against drug boats in the Caribbean, will step down around a year after starting the job; U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the move but did not provide a reason for the departure (X). Two unnamed sources told CNN that Holsey had raised concerns about the military operations in the Caribbean not being lawful (CNN). A Pentagon spokesperson denied that Holsey expressed reservations (X).
Trump Says He Greenlit Covert CIA Actions Inside Venezuela
Trump said he authorized CIA action and threatened to carry out military strikes inside the country in response to flows of migrants and drugs (AP). Trump acknowledged the CIA authorization hours after the New York Times broke the story, claiming with scant evidence that his administration had “almost totally stopped” drug trafficking by sea and “now we’ll stop it by land” (NYT; Politico). Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said he rejected the prospect of war, while Venezuela’s foreign ministry said Trump’s actions “against the peace and stability of Venezuela” violated international law (NPR). Over the past few weeks, the U.S. military has killed dozens of people in targeted strikes on boats off the coast of Venezuela. Trump has claimed without evidence that the boats were engaged in drug smuggling (BBC). The campaign has prompted pushback domestically—with bipartisan U.S. lawmakers seeking more details—and from Venezuela’s government (NBC). The recent U.S. strikes in the Caribbean may have not only killed Venezuelans, according to media reports; two unnamed people briefed by the Pentagon on the strikes told CNN that at least one strike targeted Colombians on a boat departing from Colombia (CNN). Trinidad and Tobago police said they were investigating the possibility that two citizens of the country were among those killed (AFP).
U.S. Military Kills Six People in Boat Off Venezuelan Coast
Trump claimed that intelligence revealed the vessel was associated with “narcoterrorist networks” but did not provide further details; it is at least the fifth such deadly strike in recent weeks (AP).
Venezuela Shutters Oslo Embassy
Venezuela is closing its embassy in Norway after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to opposition leader María Corina Machado; the Norwegian government called the closure “regrettable” but did not provide an official reason for the decision (Guardian). Machado blamed President Nicolás Maduro’s administration for the shooting of two Venezuelans, an activist and a political consultant, in Colombia; Maduro’s government did not immediately comment on the matter (Reuters). Meanwhile, Colombian police said Venezuelan human rights activist Yendri Omar Velásquez Rodríguez and political consultant Luis Alejandro Peche Arteaga were wounded in a targeted shooting in Bogotá; both men, who fled Venezuela alleging political persecution, are in stable condition as authorities investigate (AP).
Venezuelan Opposition Leader
The Nobel committee praised Machado’s work for a “peaceful transition to democracy” (Nobel Foundation). The Maduro administration continues to crack down on domestic opposition following its election loss last year, while in recent months, tensions have flared with the United States over a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean (CBS/AP). Machado has strong backers within the Trump administration: earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised her as the “personification of resilience, tenacity, and patriotism” (Time). Washington says it is targeting drug smuggling with its military strikes on boats near Venezuela, while Maduro administration officials have accused the United States of trying to topple it (CFR).
New U.S. Counter-Narcotics Task Force in Latin America
The Pentagon formed a new joint task force led by Marines from Camp Lejeune to oversee anti-drug operations in Latin America, following a wave of U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats; U.S. President Donald Trump is also weighing possible land strikes in Venezuela (Reuters).
Venezuela Requests UN Security Council Emergency Session
The request aims to address recent U.S. military actions off its coast, as Venezuela claims Washington is seeking regime change and threatening regional stability; the Trump administration has suggested that U.S. military operations are targeting drug traffickers (AFP).
Trump Ends Venezuela Diplomacy
U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an end to negotiations led by envoy Richard Grenell with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, frustrated by Caracas’s refusal to concede to U.S. demands or acknowledge drug trafficking ties; the move comes as officials warn Trump may expand military operations against cartels or Maduro’s government (NYT).
Venezuela Warns of Extremist Plot to Bomb U.S. Embassy
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said that Venezuela had warned Washington of a “false flag” plot by extremist opposition sectors to plant explosives at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas; the United States, which withdrew its diplomatic staff from Caracas after ties were severed in 2019, has not yet commented on the claim (Reuters).
Trump Says U.S. Military Struck Another Boat Near Venezuela
Trump alleged the boat was carrying drugs (Reuters). Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said recent U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean were lawful, arguing that the targeted boats belonged to groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations; Trump claimed the campaign has curbed drug smuggling and hinted at a forthcoming “phase 2” (Reuters). Venezuelan officials have criticized the air campaign, and the country’s foreign minister said Caracas reached out to the pope in an effort to restore peace (Latin Times).
Trump Declares U.S. Is in Armed Conflict With Drug Cartels
A confidential notice to Congress said President Donald Trump has determined the United States is in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels, calling suspected smugglers “unlawful combatants” to justify recent U.S. military strikes on boats in the Caribbean that killed seventeen people (NYT). It marks a sweeping assertion of war powers without prior Congressional approval (Politico). Lawmakers from both parties had called for the Pentagon to provide legal justification for its recent deadly strikes on boats near Venezuela during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday (WSJ). The White House claimed, without providing evidence, that the boats carried drug traffickers (NPR). Additionally, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino accused the United States of threatening national security after five “imperialist combat planes” were detected off the country’s Caribbean coast; Padrino added that the flyover was a “provocation” and “vulgarity” while calling for Washington to end its recent pressure campaign against the Maduro government (Reuters).
Trump Weighs Expanding Venezuela Strikes
U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States is considering targeting Venezuelan drug cartels “coming by land,” after recently striking boats allegedly carrying illicit drugs (Reuters).
Maduro Signs Decree Expanding Military Authority in Case of U.S. Incursion
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the decree would grant President Nicolás Maduro additional security powers if the United States were to attack Venezuela; Rodríguez said she believed the Trump administration seeks “regime change” (Reuters). Unnamed U.S. officials told the New York Times that the U.S. military has planned potential operations on Venezuelan soil against drug trafficking suspects; a State Department spokesperson said that Washington “is engaged in a counterdrug-cartel operation” (NYT).
Trump Threatens Venezuelan Drug Traffickers
U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly that recent American strikes on Venezuelan boats carrying alleged drug traffickers were a warning that traffickers would be “blown out of existence,” while also accusing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading trafficking networks (Reuters).
Maduro Offers Direct Talks With Trump Envoy Grenell Amid U.S. Pressure
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro offered direct talks with U.S. envoy Richard Grenell in a letter to Donald Trump, rejecting U.S. drug trafficking allegations and urging “frank conversation” to ease tensions; the letter comes as Trump warned Caracas must accept deported prisoners or face “incalculable” consequences (Reuters).
Third Strike in Caribbean
The U.S. military killed three people on a boat that Trump claimed was carrying drugs in the Caribbean, he wrote on social media; he has announced fourteen such deaths in two similar strikes in recent weeks (AP).