After airstrikes, Donald Trump says US land action against Venezuelan drug networks coming ‘soon’

The comments come as the administration continues weighing military action against Venezuela under what it calls counter-narcotics operations. Senior US military leaders have recently travelled to Caribbean partners as Washington intensifies its regional presence.

For months, Trump has escalated US military activity near Venezuela, authorising strikes on what officials describe as drug-carrying boats since early September. Nearly two dozen such strikes have been conducted, killing at least 82 people. The arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Caribbean last week capped a force build-up not seen in the area for decades.

Alongside the military pressure, Washington last week designated the Cartel de los Soles, a group it alleges is run by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as a foreign terrorist organisation. Maduro has repeatedly denied any involvement in drug trafficking, accusing the US of manufacturing a pretext for aggression.

The increased activity has fuelled expectations and anxiety over a possible US strike inside Venezuela. Yet Trump has simultaneously left the door open for diplomacy, saying this week that he might speak with Maduro. “We’ll see,” he said, noting discussions were underway among his staff.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that strikes on alleged narcotraffickers would “continue.” According to a report by NBC, citing current and former officials and narcotics experts, most vessels moving through the Caribbean are transporting cocaine from South America to Europe, not the US.

During his Thanksgiving call, Trump also spoke with members of various military branches, inviting “any damn question you want.” Service members shared stories and expressed support, with a Marine in Puerto Rico telling the president that his battalion was ready to back operations against “narcoterrorists.”