U.S. President Donald Trump sharply escalated his rhetoric against Venezuela on Thursday after two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers flew to within roughly 50 kilometers (80 miles) of Venezuela’s coastline, briefly entering the country’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) before turning back over international waters in what regional observers described as a simulated airstrike.
Speaking to reporters at a press gaggle, Trump stated, “We’re looking at land-based operations, we’re looking at everything. These people are bringing drugs into our country, killing our people, and we’re going to stop it.” The remarks marked the first time Trump has publicly hinted at possible ground action against Venezuela, following months of aerial and naval posturing by U.S. forces in the Caribbean.
Trump also dismissed the idea that he needed congressional authorization for such operations, saying, “I don’t think we need a declaration of war for this. We’re not talking about a full invasion. We’re talking about going in, taking out the bad guys—drug lords, narcoterrorists—and we’ll kill them on land if we have to.”
Since late August, Washington has deployed several guided-missile destroyers, stealth bombers, and attack submarines to the Caribbean, along with approximately 10,000 Marines and other personnel, as part of what the administration describes as an intensified anti-narcotics campaign. U.S. officials have accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government of facilitating large-scale drug trafficking operations.
However, reports from both the CIA and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have contradicted those claims, indicating that the flow of narcotics from Venezuela to the United States is relatively minimal compared to other regional sources. Critics argue that the “drug” narrative is merely a pretext for regime change efforts aimed at toppling Maduro’s government.
For now, Washington appears intent on ramping up pressure in hopes of splintering Venezuela’s ruling elite and military leadership. Yet despite sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and now overt military maneuvers, Maduro’s government has so far shown no visible cracks.