U.S. To Launch New Phase Of Venezuela Operations, Sources Say

WASHINGTON, DC, Nov 22 (Reuters) – As the Trump administration increases pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s government, the United States is ready to launch a new phase in Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four U.S. officials told Reuters.

Reuters was unable to determine the exact timing or scope of the new operations or whether U.S. President Donald Trump has made a final decision to take action. Reports of impending action have proliferated in recent weeks as the U.S. military deploys forces to the Caribbean amid worsening relations with Venezuela.

Two of the U.S. officials said covert operations would likely be the first part of new action against Maduro. All four officials cited in this article spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the impending U.S. action.

The Pentagon referred the questions to the White House. The CIA declined to comment.

A senior administration official on Saturday did not rule out anything related to Venezuela.

“President Trump is ready to use every element of American power to prevent drugs from entering our country and bring those responsible to justice,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Venezuela’s Ministry of Communications did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Trump administration is weighing options on Venezuela to combat what it portrays as Maduro’s role in supplying illegal drugs that are killing Americans. He denied any connection with the illegal drug trade.

Two US officials told Reuters that options being considered included an attempt to oust Maduro.

Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has claimed that Trump is trying to oust him and that Venezuelan citizens and the military will resist such an attempt. He also described the US actions as an effort to gain control of Venezuelan oil.

The military buildup in the Caribbean has been ongoing for months, and Trump has authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela. The US Federal Aviation Administration warned major airlines on Friday of a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela and urged them to exercise caution.

Following the FAA’s warning, three international airlines canceled flights departing from Venezuela on Saturday.

The United States plans to designate the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization on Monday for its alleged role in importing illegal drugs into the United States, officials said. The Trump administration accused Maduro of leading the Cartel de los Soles, which Maduro denied.

In August, Washington doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million. But U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that the terrorist designation “gives the United States a whole bunch of new options.”

Trump said the upcoming designation would allow the United States to attack Maduro’s assets and infrastructure in Venezuela, but he also indicated he was willing to potentially resume talks in hopes of a diplomatic solution.

Maduro said earlier this week that differences between the countries should be resolved through diplomacy and that he was ready to meet face to face with anyone interested.

Two US officials confirmed the talks between Caracas and Washington. It was unclear whether these conversations would affect the timing or scale of potential U.S. operations.

The US Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, Gerald R. Ford, arrived in the Caribbean on November 16, along with its strike group, at least seven warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft.

U.S. forces in the region have so far focused on counternarcotics operations; although the firepower gathered was far greater than what was needed for them. US troops have launched at least 21 attacks on drug boats since September, killing at least 83 people, mostly in the Caribbean, but ships in the Pacific Ocean have also been targeted.

Human rights groups have condemned the attacks as illegal extrajudicial killings of civilians, and some U.S. allies have expressed growing concern that Washington may be violating international law.

The Trump administration has been saying for months that the attacks on the boats were aimed at stopping drug trafficking, which it said killed millions of Americans. However, most deaths from drug overdoses in the United States are due to fentanyl, which is largely produced in Mexico.

According to international organizations, drug traffickers move some of the cocaine through the Caribbean, but the bulk of the supply destined for North America is transported via the Pacific.

The U.S. military remains in the shadow of Venezuela, weakened by a lack of training, low wages and broken equipment.

This fact has led the Maduro government to consider alternative strategies in the event of a US invasion, including a possibly guerrilla-style response that the government calls “prolonged resistance” and has talked about in broadcasts on state television.

That approach would involve small military units carrying out acts of sabotage and other guerrilla tactics at more than 280 locations, Reuters reported, citing sources and years-old planning documents. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Juliya Symmes Cobb and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Craig Timberg, Sergio Non and Diane Craft)