US President Donald Trump is considering plans to target cocaine facilities and drug trafficking routes in Venezuela, despite not yet making a decision on whether to move forward with them.
President Trump has authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela and ordered the Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier strike group stationed in Europe to be moved to the Caribbean region. This buildup of US forces has raised questions about the administration’s intent in the region, with some officials pushing for regime change and saying that the drug campaign could lead to the ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuela is not known to be a major source of cocaine, but Trump’s administration has been trying to link Maduro to the drug trade. Trump has escalated his rhetoric on potential land strikes inside Venezuela in recent days, while the US military carries out strikes on alleged drug boats in international waters.
Administration officials say that the planning for operations on targets inside Venezuela is happening across the government, with a focus on disrupting cocaine trafficking routes. Some officials argue that an aggressive operation on a target inside Venezuela would likely require congressional approval.
The Trump administration’s intentions in the region remain unclear, and concerns about potential escalation are growing.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/24/politics/venezuela-cocaine-trafficking-routes-trump