'President is prepared': Is US plotting more strikes in Venezuela? White House weighs risky gamble

US military officials are drawing up plans to strike drug traffickers inside Venezuela, with potential operations possibly beginning in the coming weeks, four sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.

The sources, including two US officials involved in planning and two others briefed on the discussions, said US President Donald Trump has not yet approved the strikes.

Military escalation against narco-trafficking

The proposals under discussion reportedly focus on drone strikes against suspected drug traffickers, their leadership networks, and drug-processing labs, according to NBC News. Such strikes would mark a sharp escalation in Washington ’s military campaign against alleged drug smuggling routes linked to Venezuela.

In recent weeks, the US military struck at least three boats believed to be carrying narcotics from Venezuela. Trump later said on Truth Social that the vessels posed a threat to Americans. While US officials have not confirmed that drugs were present on all the boats, Dominican authorities and US embassy officials said narcotics were recovered after one incident.

Pressure on Maduro government

According to officials familiar with the deliberations, the escalation partly reflects frustration in Washington that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has not, in the Trump administration’s view, acted decisively to stem narcotics flows out of his country.

Some US officials also expressed disappointment that the strikes have not weakened Maduro’s hold on power. “The White House has faced more pushback on the boat strikes than it anticipated,” one official told NBC News, adding that it is weighing next steps carefully.

Trump’s warning

A senior administration official underscored that Trump remains determined: “The president is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.”