Trump considers attacks with destroyers and drones against cartels linked to Maduro

The Donald Trump administration has raised pressure against drug trafficking that strikes the United States to the highest level, and which, according to judicial investigations, has the regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela as its central piece. Official documents and reports reveal that Washington is studying high-impact military actions, including missile strikes from naval destroyers and the use of combat drones against narco-terrorist targets in Latin America.

According to the Washington Post, deliberations began at the start of this year and directly involve the Pentagon. The White House is evaluating options ranging from bombing drug labs and clandestine airstrips to neutralizing criminal leaders with logistical capacity in Mexico, Venezuela, and the region. "President Trump's priority is to end drug trafficking and bring those responsible to justice", emphasized presidential spokesperson Karoline Leavitt at a press conference.

The background is clear: fentanyl—a synthetic drug that has caused thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S.—and cocaine coming from Venezuela and Mexico are considered a direct transnational threat to national security. Under an executive directive, Trump authorized the use of defense resources to stop that deadly flow.

In this context, Washington has already deployed eight warships in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Central and South America. Among them are the guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson, expressly sent to Venezuelan waters to pressure the narco-Chavista regime and cut off trafficking routes. That fleet will be joined by the USS Newport News, a fast-attack nuclear-powered submarine, as well as 4,000 U.S. soldiers.

The move has caused concern in Caracas, where Maduro—indicted in 2020 along with 14 other Chavista leaders for narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine—faces increasing isolation. Since that accusation, the reward offered by the United States for his capture has risen to 50 million dollars, the highest amount for a sitting head of state and making him the most wanted fugitive on the planet.

Leavitt stressed that the Trump administration doesn't recognize Chavismo as the legitimate government of Venezuela and accused Maduro of directly leading the Cártel de los Soles, a criminal organization that acts as the regime's armed and financial wing, with connections to the Tren de Aragua and the Cártel de Sinaloa. "Many countries in the Caribbean and the region have applauded this administration's anti-drug operations and efforts", the official added, indicating that the strategy has regional support.