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4h ago

U.S. Weighs Plans for Strikes Inside Venezuela as Caribbean Operation Expands

Reports of possible strikes have intensified regional denunciations, prompting new questions over legal authority.

President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela gives a speech during the commemoration of the 71st Anniversary of the birth of late former President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez at the Miraflores Palace on July 28, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela.
Armored vehicles drive through a street during a government-organized march in support of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Jesus Vargas)
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FILE - Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez speaks during military exercises in Caracas, Venezuela, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

Overview

  • U.S. military planners are drafting options for drone attacks on trafficking leaders and drug labs inside Venezuela, with operations described by sources as possible within weeks but not approved.
  • The U.S. has acknowledged at least three lethal strikes on suspected smuggling boats this month, with more than a dozen people killed and officials offering public evidence only for drugs recovered after one strike.
  • A reinforced U.S. presence now includes eight warships, a submarine, thousands of sailors and Marines, and F-35 fighter jets based in Puerto Rico, according to defense officials.
  • Venezuela’s foreign minister told the UN the United States poses an ‘immoral’ threat, while President Nicolás Maduro ordered emergency drills and has prepared potential decrees for an external conflict scenario.
  • Congressional critics and rights groups question the legal basis for expanding force, with War Powers measures introduced and UN experts labeling the boat killings as extrajudicial; Colombia’s president urged criminal proceedings against President Trump.