U.S. President Donald Trump has provided his most definitive indication to date that military action against Venezuela is imminent, specifically targeting mainland areas with land strikes.
During a press briefing on Thanksgiving Day, the president outlined plans for direct intervention against Venezuelan drug trafficking networks operating by sea. He later addressed service members in a separate call dedicated to counter-narcotics efforts, stating unequivocally that stopping these deliveries would extend beyond naval operations and soon involve actions directly onto Venezuela’s territory.
“We warn them: Stop sending poison to our country,” Trump declared during the Thanksgiving address to military personnel. The upcoming land component is expected to commence very shortly, according to U.S. officials briefed by the president.
This latest pronouncement marks an intensification of President Trump’s stance on Venezuela, which has escalated over recent months amid growing concerns about drug trafficking originating from the South American nation. Military deployments and heightened rhetoric between Washington and Caracas have underscored the administration’s readiness for direct engagement against narcotrafficking organizations operating within Venezuela.
The confrontation is widely regarded as one of the most volatile flashpoints in Latin America, with U.S. actions stemming directly from designations like that of the Cartel de los Soles—labeled a foreign terrorist organization—and broader counter-narcotics initiatives.