The Trump administration is reportedly finalizing plans to launch airstrikes on military installations inside Venezuela within hours or days, according to several U.S. media reports.
The potential strikes are said to target Venezuelan military bases allegedly linked to the Cartel of the Suns—a drug trafficking network the U.S. claims is controlled by President Nicolás Maduro and his close associates.
According to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, American forces have pinpointed key sites believed to be used for cocaine smuggling operations, as Washington intensifies pressure on Maduro’s government.
Satellite imagery analyzed by Newsweek reportedly shows a U.S. Caribbean naval task force, including the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and six destroyers, positioned off Venezuela’s coast in preparation for precision strikes on inland drug facilities and airstrips.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has hinted that President Donald Trump could soon authorize direct action, extending operations beyond recent maritime interdictions. Since September, U.S. forces have conducted at least 10 lethal strikes on suspected drug boats, killing 43 alleged traffickers.
In response, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez condemned the U.S. actions as “extrajudicial killings,” accusing Washington of fabricating a “false-flag operation” to justify invasion plans. President Maduro has since mobilized 25,000 troops and established 284 defensive positions across the country, warning of an “armed confrontation” if the U.S. proceeds with its plans.
Despite mounting concerns from international observers and some UN representatives over the legality of such strikes without congressional approval, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the operations, linking them to broader counterterrorism and anti-narcotics objectives.
As of October 31, Trump had not yet signed off on ground operations, but the Pentagon’s deployment of additional warships and aircraft, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier with 90 planes on board, signals a possible escalation — one that could ignite a major constitutional and geopolitical confrontation.
