President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuela is feeling ‘heat’ as his administration intensifies its efforts against alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean. The strikes have focused on disrupting the flow of drugs into the United States, with at least two vessels targeted in the past week. However, some experts and lawmakers argue that these actions are part of a broader campaign to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro into ousting him from power.
Fox News Digital reported that Trump has confirmed the CIA’s authorization to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, citing the release of prisoners into the U.S. and the influx of drugs via sea routes. While the administration has maintained that the strikes are about curbing drug trafficking, analysts suggest that the military actions, coupled with economic sanctions and the $50 million reward for Maduro’s arrest, are all part of a strategy to destabilize the Maduro regime.
The Trump administration’s hard-line approach includes designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and participating in a ‘non-international armed conflict’ with smugglers. Despite these efforts, critics argue that the strikes are unlikely to significantly impact drug flows, as maritime routes are not the primary conduit for illicit drugs. Instead, the focus on Venezuela may be a tactic to encourage the Venezuelan military to take action against Maduro, though analysts note that this has not yielded results in previous attempts.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have raised concerns about the legality of these strikes, with a war powers resolution failing in the Senate. However, efforts continue to assert Congress’s authority over U.S. military actions in the region. Trump has dismissed these concerns, emphasizing that he was informed the vessels carried drugs, thus justifying their targeting as a legitimate military operation.