TEHRAN – President Donald Trump’s latest statements mark one of the most serious escalations in the long-running conflict between the United States and Venezuela.
President Trump has publicly stated that the United States will begin targeting Venezuela’s alleged drug-trafficking networks “by land,” raising the possibility of a ground invasion of Venezuelan territory. This is no longer just rhetoric. It comes at a time when the U.S. military already has a large presence in the Caribbean, deploying more than a dozen warships, a group of aircraft carriers, stealth aircraft and thousands of troops under what the Pentagon calls Operation Southern Spear.
Since early September, the U.S. military has carried out more than 20 lethal attacks against shipping in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean. These attacks left more than 80 people dead, with many Latin American governments and legal experts describing the operations as extrajudicial killings. The U.S. government has not provided evidence that the targeted vessels were actually transporting drugs. Reports from the area said many of those killed were fishermen, not traffickers. This lack of evidence is important in understanding why President Trump’s threat to expand his campaign on land caused so much alarm.
The US government’s claims that Venezuelan officials are part of a drug-trafficking network known as the Cartel de los Soles is also disputed. Experts say the term is more of a political label than a structured criminal organization, and that U.S. authorities have not produced clear evidence linking the Venezuelan state to large-scale drug distribution. Even the U.S. Department of Justice told lawmakers in a closed session that its legal opinion only covers attacks on suspected drug smugglers in international waters and does not justify attacks on land inside Venezuela. This makes President Trump’s proposals for future ground operations even more legally questionable.
For many observers, the drug trafficking narrative functions as a political pretext. They argue that Washington’s broader aim is to overthrow the government of President Nicolás Maduro and gain influence over Venezuela’s vast oil wealth, which has the world’s largest proven reserves. U.S. policy toward Venezuela has long been shaped by the strategic value of these energy assets, and critics believe the current military posture fits into a broader pattern of pressure aimed at achieving regime change. President Maduro has publicly accused the United States of using drug allegations as a pretext to prepare for military intervention, a claim that resonates among local governments wary of U.S. action.
President Trump’s public words, large-scale U.S. military deployments, and a record of deadly attacks at sea have combined to create a dangerous moment. The lack of transparent evidence to support the US government’s accusations reinforces the impression that the campaign is motivated more by geopolitical goals than counter-drug efforts. Ground operations not only violate Venezuela’s sovereignty, but also risk triggering a broader regional crisis.