White House threw cold water on reports Trump will strike targets in Venezuela
Trump increases tensions over Venezuela
Fox News State Department and foreign policy correspondent Gillian Turner covers Venezuela’s allegations that the United States is trying to provoke a conflict, the continued deployment of US navy ships near the country and more in ‘Special Report.’
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The White House has pushed back against media reports suggesting that President Donald Trump’s administration has identified military targets in Venezuela and is ready to strike them soon.
Although Trump has signaled for weeks that he was ready to launch a ground operation against Venezuela, the White House has been skeptical of new media reports.
“Anonymous sources don’t know what they’re talking about,” White House press secretary Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital on Friday. “Any announcements regarding Venezuela policy will come directly from the President.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Trump administration had identified military targets in Venezuela used to transport drugs, but the news outlet said Trump had not formalized a decision on whether he would launch a ground attack on those targets.
WHILE MADURO REMOVES THE MILITARY ‘THREAT’ IN VENEZUELA, TRUMP SAYS HE WILL SHOOT THE USA
The Trump administration ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford to the U.S. Southern Command, prompting Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro to accuse Trump of “fabricating a new endless war.” (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images; Getty Images)
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday that no decision had been made on whether he would strike military targets in Venezuela, Bloomberg News reported.
Additionally, the Miami Herald reported Friday that the administration has decided to launch attacks on these military installations in Venezuela that could come “within a few days, or even a few hours.”
Both the Journal and the Miami Herald cited unnamed sources familiar with the plans.
The Herald reported that the pending attacks are part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to take down the Cartel de los Soles, which Attorney General Pam Bondi says is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The Trump administration does not recognize Maduro as a legitimate head of state, and the administration has increased the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, claiming that Maduro is “one of the world’s largest drug traffickers.”
TRUMP IS USING THE MILITARY POWER OF THE USA ON THE CARTELS. IS A LARGER WAR COMING?
A Venezuelan ship was destroyed during the US military attack on Venezuela on September 2, 2025. (@realDonaldTrump via Truth Social)
Meanwhile, the US military has stepped up its attacks on alleged drug boats in Latin America; There have been at least 14 attacks in total since the beginning of September. Additionally, Trump instructed the US Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, to go to the region.
Brent Sadler, a senior fellow on naval warfare and advanced technology at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, said the aircraft carrier’s presence means Trump has additional resources to mount more attacks against the cartels. Meanwhile, Trump has been routinely saying for weeks that he may continue ground operations against Venezuela in addition to naval strikes.
“Ford’s arrival in the SOUTHCOM area is not unprecedented, but it is significant given the ongoing attacks on Cartel boats. I believe the purpose of this move is to deter Venezuela from escalating the crisis and to give the President extra options if he wants to increase attacks on the Cartels,” Sadler said in an email to Fox News Digital on Monday. he said. “That said, I anticipate Ford’s air wing will be very active in air surveillance and defense.”
TRUMP SAID ‘WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS’ WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HITTING VENEZUELA AMONG INCREASING TENSIONS
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at a press conference at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Following the news that Ford would go to the region, Maduro accused Trump of “making up a new endless war.”
“They promised they would never get involved in a war again, and they are making up a war,” Maduro said in a national broadcast on Friday.
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Still, not all lawmakers accept Trump’s attacks on Latin America. Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Tim Kaine, D-Va. and Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced a war powers resolution this month that would prohibit U.S. armed forces from engaging in “hostilities” against Venezuela.
“The Trump administration has made clear that they may initiate military action within the borders of Venezuela and will not be limited to boat attacks in the Caribbean,” Schiff said in a statement on October 17. he said.
