US President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the possibility of expanding Washington's military campaign against Venezuela to include ground operations, according to Senator Lindsey Graham, who described the move as a serious and imminent option amid rising regional tensions.

Speaking to CBS News on Sunday, Graham said Trump plans to brief lawmakers upon returning from Asia about a potential escalation of US actions targeting both Venezuela and Colombia. "I think that is a real possibility. I think President Trump has made a decision that [Nicolás] Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, is an indicted drug, drug trafficker, that it is time for him to go, that Venezuela and Colombia have been safe havens for narco-terrorists for too long," Graham said.

He added that Trump personally informed him of his intention to consult Congress on next steps. "President Trump told me yesterday that he plans to brief members of Congress when he gets back from Asia about future potential military operations against Venezuela and Colombia. So, there will be a congressional briefing about our potential expanding from the sea to the land. I support that idea, but I think he has all authority he needs," the senator stated.

Military escalation

The remarks follow a major US military buildup in the Caribbean, including the deployment of the  Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility, announced by the Pentagon on October 24. The carrier group's mission, officially framed as a counter-narcotics operation, aims to "disrupt illicit actors and dismantle transnational criminal organizations," according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.

Related News

Tehran warns US amid Gulf buildup: 'We won't bow to pressure'

The move came just one day before US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed that the military had conducted a night-time strike on a vessel allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua group, designated by Washington as a terrorist organization. The strike, which killed six people in the Caribbean Sea, has been denounced by Caracas as a violation of international law.

Caribbean conflict looms

Regional analysts say the combination of naval deployments, targeted strikes, and talk of ground operations represents the most aggressive US posture toward Venezuela since 2019, when Washington backed a failed coup attempt against President Maduro.

In response, Caracas has launched coastal defense drills and warned of a full-scale mobilization if US aggression continues. President Maduro, rejecting Washington's accusations of drug trafficking, described them as "false and bizarre," accusing the US of fabricating narratives to justify war.

Venezuela's allies, including China, Russia, and several Caribbean states, have condemned the escalation, urging restraint and respect for national sovereignty. Meanwhile, Latin American governments such as Brazil and Colombia have voiced concern that any US intervention could destabilize the region and ignite a wider conflict under the pretext of counter-narcotics operations.

Read more: Maduro calls on working class to be ready to defend nation

Expanding US footprint

The mounting tensions come as Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa considers allowing foreign, potentially US, military bases on Ecuadorian soil, including Baltra Island in the Galápagos, pending a national referendum on November 16. The move, justified by Noboa as a security measure against transnational crime, has sparked domestic backlash over sovereignty and environmental risks.

Baltra Island, once used as a US base during World War II, is viewed by analysts as a strategic outpost that would extend Washington’s operational reach across the Pacific and Caribbean corridors, complementing its growing military presence in Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Southern Command region.