President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing the possibility of launching airstrikes on Venezuelan military targets — a move that could dramatically escalate tensions in the region and push U.S. policy in Latin America into uncharted territory.
According to a Wall Street Journal report published Thursday night, officials are discussing potential strikes on naval installations and airstrips believed to be used for drug smuggling operations. While no official decision has been made, the strikes would be intended to send a “clear message” that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro must step down.
If carried out, the plan would mark a major escalation in Trump’s ongoing campaign to stem narcotics shipments allegedly moving from Venezuela toward the United States.
“President Trump has been clear in his message to Maduro: stop sending drugs and criminals to our country,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the Journal. “The President is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our homeland.”
But not everyone sees this as a show of strength. Critics warn the move could easily backfire — both politically and strategically. Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela analyst at the Atlantic Council, cautioned that the strikes might actually help Maduro consolidate power rather than weaken him.
“This is the U.S. really putting to the test the claim that Maduro is weak and the military will flip with just a gentle push,” Ramsey said. “So far we haven’t seen any evidence of major defections in the country, but I think if the U.S. carries out the military strikes on the Venezuelan armed forces, that equation might change. However… there’s a chance that this leads to a rally-around-the-flag effect.”
Over the past year, Trump’s administration has stepped up its hardline approach in the region, claiming to have taken out more than 50 “narco-terrorists” allegedly smuggling drugs from Venezuela and Colombia — often presenting little or no evidence to support those claims.
If airstrikes were to move forward, they’d mark a stunning expansion of that campaign — and a decision that could ripple far beyond Venezuela’s borders.
