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Trump Keeps Military Options Open on Mexico and Venezuela as U.S. Buildup Reaches Caribbean

Mexico and Venezuela urge dialogue and assert sovereignty while Washington moves to list the Venezuelan ‘Cartel de los Soles’ as a foreign terrorist organization.

Overview

  • President Donald Trump said he would consider authorizing strikes inside Mexico to target drug cartels, left open intervention in Venezuela, and indicated he could speak with Nicolás Maduro.
  • The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is now operating in the Caribbean, with roughly 12,000–15,000 U.S. personnel and about a dozen warships deployed.
  • U.S. forces have conducted 21 attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific with 83 reported deaths, operations officials say targeted drug traffickers though public proof has not been presented.
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the pending designation of the ‘Cartel de los Soles’ as a foreign terrorist organization effective Nov. 24, and the U.S. maintains a $50 million reward for Maduro.
  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said foreign military intervention in Mexico “will not happen,” and Maduro invited face-to-face talks while rejecting the use of force.