In a new step of its escalation against Venezuelathe president of the United States, donald trumpwarned this Thursday that The Army of your country will begin “very soon” to act “on the ground” against alleged drug traffickers in Venezuelan territory.
The Republican president assured that the military operations deployed in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific have been “a success” in the last two months, and that The time is approaching to move on to ground actionsaccording to press reports.
In a call with the military during Thanksgiving, Trump stated that “people don’t want to deliver (drugs) by sea anymore” and that Washington will begin to “detain them on the ground”although it did not offer details about the type of actions planned.
“We warned them to stop sending poison to our country,” he added.
Since it began operations by sea in September, the US forces have destroyed more than twenty boats and caused more than 80 deaths in attacks in the southern Caribbean and in Pacific waters against alleged drug traffickers, according to data from the president himself cited by EFE.
Trump maintained that these operations would have stopped “85%” of the maritime flow of drugs from Venezuela, according to the Spanish agency.
“We’re going to start stopping them by land. Also, by land it’s easier, but that’s going to start very soon. We warned them to stop sending poison into our country,” Trump said.https://t.co/csg2s3dI4o
— EFE News (@EFEnoticias) November 28, 2025
Growing bilateral tension
President Trump’s statements occur in the midst of a climate of growing bilateral tension and concerns and questions about the US deployment by the international community and, in particular, in Latin America.
On November 16, Washington deployed the USS Gerald R. Fordits largest aircraft carrier, while this week it designated the so-called “Cartel of the Suns” as a foreign terrorist organization, which the US Government links to President Nicolás Maduro and the military and senior officials of Chavismo.
According to cnnthis designation would allow Washington to apply new sanctions on Maduro’s assetsalthough it does not explicitly authorize the use of lethal force.
Sources cited by the network insisted that, despite the increase in military presence, there is currently no legal basis to launch attacks within Venezuela.
Likewise, they pointed out that No bombings have been planned against Venezuelan infrastructure or territory..
Despite this, Trump suggested that he has already made a decision after several high-level meetings. The president highlighted the US “demonstration of force” in the region within the framework of “Operation Southern Lance”, which includes more than a dozen ships and 15,000 soldiers.
Meanwhile, although Latin American and Caribbean nations have aligned themselves with Washington, governments of countries such as Colombia, Brazil and Cuba have warned about the consequences that a US military operation would have in Venezuela and have called for preserving peace.
Havana accuses the US of seeking a “violent overthrow” of Maduro in Venezuela
Maduro’s response
For its part, The Venezuelan Executive has withdrawn its position against a possible intervention of the United States and has called on his followers to fight if this happens.
In recent statements, President Nicolás Maduro assured that he was confident that Venezuela “will emerge victorious” in any scenario, even if the country declares itself a “republic in arms.”
In an event broadcast on state television, the Chavista president urged his country’s Air Force to remain “alert, ready and willing” to defend national sovereignty.
During the ceremony for the 105 years of Military Aviation, the troops carried out air interception exercises and simulations in front of state VTV cameras.
“There is no threat or aggression that frightens our people or takes us by surprise, our people have prepared themselves with imperturbable serenity to defend their homeland,” commented the Chavista leader. cited by the cnn.
Tensions between Washington and Caracas have been escalating in recent weeks, although Trump said he does not rule out “talking to Maduro to save many lives,” something that Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab described as “welcome.”
