President Donald Trump signaled a major escalation in America’s anti-narcotics strategy this week, revealing that U.S. forces may soon begin ground operations targeting drug-trafficking routes inside Venezuela.
The announcement marks the strongest indication yet that the administration is prepared to expand military pressure on the regime of Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro after months of intensifying interdiction efforts in the Caribbean.
Speaking during a call with U.S. service members, Trump praised the Air Force’s 7th Bomb Wing for helping to block roughly 85 percent of narcotics trafficking by sea, crediting them with disrupting Venezuelan-smuggling networks that funnel poison into the United States.
“You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also,” Trump told the troops.
“The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.
“We’d warn them,” the president added.
“Stop sending poison to our country.”
The remarks came just days after Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine began a three-day trip to the U.S. Southern Command region on November 23, meeting with forces stationed throughout the Caribbean and with regional leaders facing growing instability.
Caine conferred with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Tuesday about shared security threats, including narcotics pipelines and human-trafficking corridors exploited by transnational criminal groups.
Under President Trump, the United States has significantly expanded its presence in the Caribbean as drug flows surged under the previous administration.
U.S. forces have conducted at least 21 strikes on narcotics-smuggling vessels since September alone, killing approximately 83 alleged traffickers and destroying boats believed to be ferrying drugs toward American shores.
On November 16, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, arrived in the Caribbean Sea to reinforce counter-narcotics operations.
The Pentagon released footage on Thursday showing War Secretary Pete Hegseth aboard the carrier delivering a Thanksgiving message to sailors and emphasizing the administration’s resolve to dismantle trafficking networks tied to hostile regimes.
WATCH:
.@SECWAR just spoke to the men and women of the USS Gerald R. Ford.
America is forever grateful for the warriors who keep her safe. pic.twitter.com/Byg7Oe1FxS
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) November 27, 2025
But the operational tempo has sharply raised tensions with Nicolás Maduro, whom Trump has repeatedly accused of enabling cartel operations and flooding the Western Hemisphere with drugs.
Venezuelan officials deny the allegations.
In remarks to reporters on November 17, Trump reiterated that nothing is off the table, including potential military action.
“We just have to take care of Venezuela,” Trump said in the Oval Office, underscoring concerns about mass migration flows and criminal infiltration.
“They dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country from prisons.”
Maduro, meanwhile, has attempted to pivot toward diplomacy.
In September, he sent Trump a letter urging dialogue over the “many controversies” between the two nations and citing data claiming that only 5 percent of Colombian narcotics pass through Venezuela.
“This is the most egregious instance of disinformation against our nation, intended to justify an escalation to armed conflict that would inflict catastrophic damage across the entire continent,” Maduro wrote.
The White House dismissed the letter outright, calling it filled with “a lot of lies” and making clear that the administration’s posture toward the regime remains unchanged.
With interdictions expanding, military leaders engaged, and the president openly discussing a land-based offensive against traffickers, the United States appears to be preparing for a new phase of confrontation with a regime long tied to criminal networks and regional instability.
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.