President Trump Announces Ground Operations to Combat Drug Trafficking from Venezuela
In a video message sent to U.S. troops ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, President Donald Trump said military ground operations targeting drug trafficking from Venezuela would begin “very soon.” A significant number of service members are currently stationed aboard ships off the Venezuelan coast.
Trump argued that land operations are generally easier to carry out than maneuvers at sea, though he added that nearly all smuggling activity has been effectively stopped in recent weeks. The U.S. Navy, he said, has been on heightened alert along the coastline to cut off these illegal shipments.
The Venezuelan government has pushed back hard, accusing the United States of plotting to destabilize President Nicolas Maduro’s administration. Trump, for his part, insists that Maduro sits at the center of a major drug cartel — a position that aligns with the U.S. government’s refusal to recognize Maduro’s disputed win in last year’s elections.
Tensions in the region have risen sharply. Reports point to at least 83 fatalities from more than 20 attacks on suspected smuggling vessels across the Caribbean and Pacific. So far, U.S. authorities have not released concrete evidence tying these incidents to drug smuggling or showing that American interests are directly at risk.
