Three people reportedly survived after the U.S. military struck a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean this week.
The attack came a day before President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he had authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela—a move many see as part of a broader White House push for regime change in the South American nation.
Highlights
- President Trump confirmed authorizing CIA covert operations in Venezuela amid rising U.S. military presence in the Caribbean.
- U.S. military buildup includes 6,500 troops, a nuclear submarine, F-35 jets, destroyers, B-52 bombers, and transport aircraft.
- President Maduro said he was mobilizing the military, police, and civilian militias to defend Venezuela
- Senator Tim Kaine introduced a resolution to prevent Trump from unilaterally declaring war on Venezuela, backed by bipartisan support.
- U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats have killed at least 27 people, sparking condemnation as extrajudicial executions by Venezuela.
A growing U.S. military presence in the Caribbean has fueled fears that conflict with Venezuela could erupt at any moment.
Fears rose further following an announcement that Adm. Alvin Holsey, the top commander overseeing U.S. operations in Latin America, will be retiring early.
Observers say Holsey stepping down could be due to internal disagreement within the U.S. defense establishment, possibly over potential military action against Venezuela.
Donald Trump authorized the CIA to go into Venezuela as tensions between the U.S. and the South American nation rise
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Trump has long feuded with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a rivalry dating back to his early days in the political arena.
In 2023, after multiple failed attempts to oust Maduro, Trump told a North Carolina Republican convention that Venezuela’s oil would have been the big prize had the Venezuelan dictator been deposed before his first term in the White House ended.
“We’re buying oil from Venezuela,” he said at the time. “When I left, Venezuela was ready to collapse. We would have taken it over—we would have gotten all that oil.”
The Trump administration now frames its policy as a war on drugs directed at Venezuela.
In September, Attorney General Pam Bondi branded Maduro “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world,” accusing him of working with criminal groups such as Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Cartel of the Suns to funnel drugs and violence into the U.S.
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In January, Trump signed an executive order designating several cartels as foreign terrorist organizations—an unprecedented step that drew sharp criticism from legal experts.
By early August, Washington was offering a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture.
U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats have reportedly killed at least 27 people so far. Three individuals are believed to have survived the most recent attack, according to the Daily Mail, though the exact number of passengers aboard remains unconfirmed.
Venezuelan Ambassador to the U.N. Samuel Moncada deplored the latest boat strike
Venezuelan Ambassador to the U.N. Samuel Moncada condemned the strike, calling it “a new set of extrajudicial executions against civilians.”
Holding up a newspaper report on two missing fishermen from Trinidad and Tobago—among six people thought to have been killed—Moncada warned, “There is a killer prowling the Caribbean. People from different countries are suffering the effects of these massacres.”
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The U.S. military buildup near Venezuela’s coastline now includes 6,500 troops, a nuclear submarine, F-35 fighter jets, guided-missile destroyers, B-52 bombers, and C-17 transport aircraft, according to reports.
“We’re looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” Trump said. “I think Venezuela is feeling the heat.”
In a Telegram post, Maduro said he was mobilizing the military, police, and civilian militias to defend Venezuela’s “mountains, coasts, schools, hospitals, factories, and markets,” according to CBS News.
State television showed armored vehicles deployed in a poor neighborhood of the capital Caracas ahead of planned military exercises in nearby Miranda state. Maduro described the operations as an effort to “win the peace.”
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Democratic Senator Tim Kaine introduced a resolution Thursday to lead a bipartisan effort aimed at preventing Trump from unilaterally declaring war on Venezuela.
The move would compel the Senate to vote on the measure after a 10-day waiting period. Senators Adam Schiff and Rand Paul co-sponsored the proposal.
“The pace of the announcements, the authorization of covert activities, and the military planning makes me think there’s some chance this could be imminent,” Kaine told reporters.
Republican Senator Rand Paul is siding with Democrats to limit the powers of the president in unilaterally declaring war on Venezuela
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Just last week, Kaine and Schiff sought another Senate vote to restrict Trump’s authority to use force in the Caribbean.
The measure narrowly failed, 48-51, with Republicans Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski siding with Democrats.
Image credits: The White House/Flickr