Overview
- At a closed briefing, officials told lawmakers the United States has no current plans or legal basis to conduct strikes on Venezuelan territory.
- The existing legal rationale covers only suspected drug‑trafficking vessels at sea, not land targets in Venezuela.
- A senior U.S. official cautioned the stance could change and said President Trump has not decided how to proceed.
- Officials described the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean as support for counter‑narcotics operations rather than preparation for land attacks.
- Reports since September cite 16 U.S. Navy strikes on vessels in the region with at least 67 fatalities, and some lawmakers said they remain unconvinced of the operations’ legal basis.