Trump Hints at Land Strikes as U.S.–Venezuela Standoff Intensifies

Oct 24, 2025 at 03:10 PM

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Lanka Leader

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted that the United States may expand its military operations against alleged drug-trafficking groups linked to Venezuela, suggesting that land-based strikes could follow recent naval and air missions.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Trump claimed “great success” in intercepting what he described as Venezuelan state-linked “drug boats.” “Drugs coming in by sea are like 5% of what they were a year ago,” he said, adding, “The land is going to be next,” without specifying when or where such operations might occur.

Trump also rejected the notion that he needs congressional approval for such strikes. “We may go to the Senate; we may go to the Congress and tell them about it, but I can’t imagine they’d have any problem with it,” he said.

In recent weeks, U.S. naval and air forces have conducted operations targeting what Washington says are Venezuela-linked drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in dozens of deaths. Caracas has denied any involvement in narcotics trafficking and accused Washington of using the accusations as a pretext for “regime change.”

Tensions escalated further after Trump publicly stated that he had authorized covert CIA activity inside Venezuela — a rare admission that prompted a sharp response from President Nicolás Maduro, who called the acknowledgment “unprecedented” and “desperate.” Maduro placed Venezuela’s armed forces on heightened alert and warned that the country possesses a significant stockpile of Soviet-era Igla-S air defense systems.

Adding to the rising friction, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources, that two nuclear-capable U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers had flown near Venezuelan airspace. Trump dismissed the report but noted, “We’re not happy with Venezuela.”