Trump told reporters at the White House that his country would “soon” begin carrying out strikes against drug trafficking networks, stressing that “the time has come to stop the flow of illegal materials across the border.” The U.S. President has repeatedly referred in recent weeks to launching operations targeting what he described as “land smuggling networks operating out of Venezuela.”
This statement comes a day after U.S. forces seized an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, in a move that exacerbated tensions in relations between Washington and Caracas, and raised questions about the nature of the U.S. strategy: Is the goal limited to combating drugs, or is it part of a broader pressure to bring about political change in Venezuela?
In an interview with “Politico” on Tuesday, Trump said that “Nicolas Maduro’s days are numbered,” without disclosing further details. When asked if he would rule out sending U.S. ground forces to Venezuela, the U.S. President avoided a direct answer, leaving the door open for different interpretations, despite widespread conviction within the U.S. that any large-scale invasion does not have political support.
However, Trump had previously announced that he had given the green light to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, hinting weeks ago at the possibility of carrying out ground operations “very soon,” which increases the ambiguity about Washington’s field intentions in this complex file.
U.S.-Venezuelan relations have witnessed increasing tension in recent months, especially after Washington intensified its naval operations to intercept boats suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. The Trump administration also imposed new financial sanctions on Venezuelan officials and companies, and expanded the scope of military surveillance in the Caribbean Sea area.
Washington believes that Maduro relies on smuggling networks controlled by armed groups to protect the influence of his regime, while Caracas accuses the United States of “waging an economic and security war” aimed at overthrowing the government.
