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For two months, U.S. forces have been sinking drug-running vessels at a pace not seen in years. Hegseth made the administration’s stance unmistakably clear with a warning that echoed worldwide.
“My advice to foreign terrorist organizations is do not get in a boat,” Hegseth said.
“If you’re trafficking drugs to poison the American people and we know you’re from a designated terrorist organization, you’re a foreign terrorist or trafficker — we will find you and we will kill you,” he said.
Targets Could Include Ports, Airfields — and Maduro Himself
ABC News suggested that possible strike packages could hit seaports, airfields, and strategic military locations used by Caracas to facilitate trafficking operations. Some options reportedly go further, involving U.S. teams prepared to capture or kill Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Trump has signaled repeatedly that the Cartel de los Soles — a Maduro-linked narco-terror group — is squarely in his crosshairs.
Retired Admiral Jim Stavridis, who once oversaw operations in the region, argued that while a ground invasion is improbable, precision force is all but inevitable.
“Look for precision kinetic strikes against narcotics targets and military capability and, if that doesn’t have the desired effect, against leadership,” Stavridis said.
He added that the real goal is psychological: convincing Maduro that “his days are numbered.”
But that may require hitting Venezuela’s critical infrastructure. Stavridis said ports, airports, and smuggling hubs near Colombia would be early strike targets.
A former DEA agent familiar with Venezuelan cartel routes told The Washington Post that clandestine airstrips and trafficking facilities would likely be targeted — but only after U.S. forces neutralize Venezuelan air defenses to avoid any American casualties.
Venezuela Mobilizes 200,000 Troops as Fear of U.S. Action Spreads
Sensing what may be coming, Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López claims he has put the entire armed forces on alert.
He declared that the military arsenal is now on “full operational readiness.” He also announced a “massive deployment of ground, aerial, naval, riverine and missile forces” and claimed that “almost 200,000” troops have been mobilized across the country.
Defense analysts say that despite the dramatic rhetoric, Venezuela lacks the manpower and hardware to resist a sustained U.S. air campaign.
Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Military.com that while the United States doesn’t have enough assets in place for a ground invasion, it has more than enough power for long-range strikes that could cripple cartel operations.
“The character seems to have changed,” Cancian said, noting that the line between cartel targets and regime targets is increasingly blurry.
A Major Confrontation May Be Imminent
With U.S. carriers offshore, Maduro on edge, and Trump openly declaring war on narco-terrorists, the stage is set for a showdown that could reshape the future of the Western Hemisphere.
If the President authorizes strikes, Venezuela’s trafficking networks — and possibly its leadership — could face a level of force they’ve never seen.
The world is watching to see whether Trump makes the next move.
