Trump holds high-level meetings on Venezuela, decision imminent

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 08:37

The Trump administration has held multiple high-level meetings on a potential aggression against Venezuela as Washington deploys major naval and air assets to the Caribbean.

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United States President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on Air Force One on his way to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on November 14, 202 (AP)

Senior Trump administration officials have held a series of internal discussions on a possible aggression against Venezuela, Reuters reported on Friday, as Washington accelerates a sweeping buildup of naval and air power around the country and faces a wave of regional backlash.

According to four US officials and a source familiar with the matter, the Homeland Security Council met three times this week, including a larger session on Thursday attended by President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.

Trump was reportedly briefed on multiple military options.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, the US president signaled that a decision may be imminent, telling reporters, “I can’t tell you what it would be, but I sort of made up my mind” on Venezuela.

However, Trump also said, “We made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in,” leaving the matter of his decision ambiguous.

Washington continues to accuse President Nicolas Maduro’s government of ties to drug trafficking, a claim Caracas rejects. It is noteworthy that Western media have also repeatedly refuted claims of Caracas being the source of narcotics trafficked into the United States.

Largest US force concentration in the region in decades

The high-level consultations come as the United States deploys substantial military assets to the southern Caribbean. The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group moved into the region earlier this week, bringing more than 75 aircraft and over 5,000 personnel. F-35 jets, warships, and a nuclear-powered submarine have also been positioned near Venezuelan waters.

The expansion follows two months of lethal US strikes on boats Washington claims were involved in narcotics trafficking. At least 20 vessels were hit in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing around 80 people. Legal experts, Democratic lawmakers, and several governments, including France, have questioned the legality of these operations, warning that the killings may constitute extrajudicial executions.

A Reuters visual investigation also found that the US military is upgrading a former Cold War-era naval base in Puerto Rico, signaling preparations for sustained operations that could support potential actions inside Venezuela.

Caracas prepares for confrontation

Venezuela has begun mobilizing military units and repositioning its Russian-made weapons systems, preparing the ground for a nationwide asymmetric-warfare campaign should the United States initiate air or ground operations. Maduro maintains that Washington’s military pressure is aimed at achieving regime change, despite Trump’s repeated denials.

In August, the Trump administration doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, further escalating tensions.

Domestic, regional support for aggression

Despite the administration’s rhetoric, US public support for military action remains limited. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Friday found that only 35% of Americans support the use of US military force inside Venezuela, per the US' claims of wanting to stem drug flows. An even smaller share of respondents backs the broader practice of using military force to kill suspected traffickers at sea, at only 29%.

The crisis has also strained Washington’s relationship with Colombia. President Gustavo Petro has fiercely condemned the US strikes, accusing Washington of “murder” and warning that the operations violate human rights. Trump has responded by labeling Petro an “illegal drug leader” and imposing sanctions on the Colombian government. In retaliation for the aggressive US actions in the region, Colombia halted intelligence sharing with Washington.

Regional leaders, including European allies, have warned that the US buildup risks destabilizing northern Latin America at a moment of deep political and economic vulnerability.