U.S. President Donald Trump denied on Friday that his administration is pursuing regime change in Venezuela, despite an increasing U.S. military presence in the Caribbean that has raised alarm in Caracas and across the region. Washington has maintained that the buildup is part of its counter-narcotics operations targeting drug trafficking routes, but critics point to the scale of the deployment as evidence of a potential prelude to intervention.
When pressed by reporters about Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s accusations of a U.S.-backed plot to oust him, Trump responded, “We’re not talking about that,” offering little elaboration. His remarks come as tensions between the two nations continue to mount, particularly following the deployment of destroyers, submarines, and nearly 4,000 U.S. Marines, alongside 10 F-35 fighter jets stationed in Puerto Rico.
The situation has evoked memories of Trump’s first term, when he recognized opposition figure Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate president and openly supported an attempted coup in April 2019. That effort collapsed within hours and has since been described as one of Trump’s most significant foreign policy failures during his first administration.
Despite his assurances, Trump’s stance on regime change has at times conflicted with his own messaging. During Israel’s 12-day war with Iran earlier this year, Trump faced criticism from his voter base for what some viewed as leading the U.S. toward another Middle East intervention. Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly clarified that Washington was not pursuing regime change in Iran. However, Trump posted on Truth Social on June 22nd, “It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!” He later walked back the statement two days afterward.
Observers argue that U.S. allegations portraying Maduro as the leader of a drug cartel—with a $50 million bounty placed on him—could serve as a pretext for military action. On Thursday and Friday, two Venezuelan Air Force F-16s, originally supplied by the U.S. in the 1980s, conducted low-altitude flyovers near the USS Jason Dunham, a U.S. Navy destroyer. The second incident occurred after Trump warned he would shoot down any aircraft threatening U.S. vessels. Meanwhile, U.S. Marines conducted amphibious landing drills in southern Puerto Rico, an area noted for its geographic similarity to Venezuela’s northern coastline.
While Washington insists the maneuvers are part of standard security operations, regional analysts warn the situation is rapidly escalating, with potential flashpoints that could lead to direct confrontation between the U.S. and Venezuela.