‘VERY SOON’: Trump Hints At Huge Escalation In US Battle With Venezuela
While taking questions from reporters at the White House President Donald Trump reiterated his administration’s intent to pursue land-based military actions against drug trafficking networks in Venezuela.
“We’re going to start doing those strikes on land, too. You know, the land is much easier, much easier. And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live, and we’re going to start that very soon too,” the president told reporters.
The president’s comments build on similar remarks made earlier in the week and underscores an escalation from maritime interdictions to potential operations on Venezuelan soil.
The U.S. military’s involvement in the region traces back to early September 2025, when Operation Southern Spear commenced under U.S. Southern Command. To date, 21 strikes have targeted vessels suspected of narcotics smuggling originating from Venezuelan ports, resulting in 83 fatalities, as documented by Pentagon disclosures and analyses from organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations.
Complementing these operations is a substantial U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, the most extensive since the 1980s. Assets include the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, seven warships, a nuclear submarine, F-35 jets, B-52 bombers, and roughly 10,000 personnel stationed in Puerto Rico, Florida, and partner locations. This deployment, ramped up since August, aims to sever fentanyl and cocaine supply chains into the U.S., according to War Department press releases.
Central to the U.S. position are indictments against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and 14 associates, initiated in 2020, for narco-terrorism. Authorities allege Maduro leads the “Cartel de los Soles,” a syndicate involving military and officials that collaborates with Colombia’s leftist guerilla organization FARC to transport multi-ton cocaine shipments to the U.S.
The organization and related groups are also involved in human smuggling, money laundering and arms trafficking, prosecutors allege. The State Department is currently offering a $50 million bounty for Maduro’s capture, elevated from $15 million, asserting the network has enabled two decades of drug flows
This past summer, the Treasury Department labeled Cartel de los Soles a Specially Designated Global Terrorist with the State Department following suit on November 24 by designating it a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). This status extends to groups like Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan transnational criminal outfit.
Consequences include U.S. asset freezes, bans on material support, secondary sanctions on enablers, and immigration restrictions under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
.@POTUS on Venezuelan drug traffickers: “Every boat we knock out, we save 25,000 American lives. If you look at our numbers, the drugs coming in through sea are down 91%… and we’re going to start very soon on land.” pic.twitter.com/47cHE0G4SN
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 3, 2025
Despite escalating tensions, Trump has still left the door open to a diplomatic solution for Maduro’s regime.
During a November 21 call with the Venezuelan dictator, Trump offered safe haven for Maduro and his family should he resign immediately. According to a report from the Miami Herald, Maduro sought global amnesty and sanctions easing, which were declined.
On December 3, Venezuela approved resuming U.S. deportation flights, facilitating over 13,000 returns since earlier 2025. This concession marks a potential turning point in the diplomatic approach, though subsequent talks between the two have not resumed since the previous call.
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