Trump hints at a ground strike in Venezuela: Has the military escalation begun?
Recent statements by US President Donald Trump have sparked a wave of questions and controversy in political and military circles, after he explicitly hinted at the possibility of US forces carrying out their first ground operation inside Venezuelan territory. This hint came in the context of his remarks about targeting facilities belonging to what he called "drug cartels," opening the door to widespread speculation about an unprecedented military escalation in the United States' backyard.
Details of the mysterious operation
In a radio interview with billionaire John Catsimatidis on WABC radio in New York, Trump revealed that the United States had destroyed a "large facility" used to produce smuggling boats. The US president stated confidently, "They had a large factory or a huge facility from which the boats were launched… Two nights ago, we destroyed it. We dealt them a very powerful blow." Despite the seriousness of this statement, Trump did not provide specific geographical details regarding the location of the facility, and there was no immediate official confirmation from the Pentagon or the White House about the nature of the operation or its precise location.
The context of maximum pressure and accusations of drug terrorism
To understand the implications of this statement, one must consider the broader context of strained relations between Washington and Caracas. The Trump administration has adopted a policy of "maximum pressure" against the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which has included crippling economic sanctions and a comprehensive oil embargo. These military overtures come shortly after the US Department of Justice formally charged Maduro and several of his top aides with "narco-terrorism," accusing them of conspiring with armed groups to flood the United States with cocaine. This provides Washington with legal and political cover for action under the guise of combating drug trafficking.
Military movements in the Caribbean
On the ground, the United States has significantly bolstered its military presence in the region. Since September, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has intensified its operations in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, carrying out numerous strikes that have killed more than 100 people linked to smuggling networks. Observers believe that the shift from maritime operations to "ground strikes"—if Trump's statement is accurate—represents a dangerous strategic shift that could drag the region into a wider conflict, especially given Russian and Chinese support for the Venezuelan regime.
Oil and the struggle for power
For its part, Caracas categorically rejects these accusations. The Maduro government maintains that Washington is using the pretext of "combating drugs" as a Trojan horse to stage a military coup and seize control of Venezuela's vast oil reserves, the largest in the world. Venezuela considers the naval blockade and sanctions imposed on oil tankers to be part of an economic war aimed at strangling the country and overthrowing the regime by force, thus making any ground military action an outright declaration of war.
