Washington is escalating pressure on the Maduro regime in Venezuela, citing concerns over growing Iranian and Hezbollah influence in the region. The move comes amid reports of potential military action authorized by the Trump governance to target groups involved in drug trafficking-activity Secretary of State Marco Rubio has directly linked to the Venezuelan government and regional instability. The United States has deployed a significant military presence to the Caribbean, leading to a series of engagements with suspected narcotics vessels and raising questions about the potential for broader conflict.
WASHINGTON – The United States is increasing pressure on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro regime amid concerns about the growing presence of Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah within the country. The developments come as Washington weighs potential military options, including possible ground operations targeting what it calls “narcoterrorists.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the presence of these actors in Latin America, particularly in Venezuela, poses a “danger” to U.S. national security. Speaking to Fox News, Rubio accused the “Venezuelan regime” of being a “source of instability” throughout the region and of allowing groups like Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to establish a foothold there. “It’s a place where Iran has a presence, and this isn’t discussed enough,” he said.
“Iran demonstrates clear hostility toward the United States… and has planted its flag on Venezuelan soil,” Rubio stated. “The fact that Maduro feels threatened by the U.S. presence in the region suggests his involvement in drug trafficking.”
The warnings from Secretary Rubio coincide with an intensive U.S. campaign to force Maduro from power, including a significant military deployment in the Caribbean aimed at combating “narcoterrorism.” Former President Trump has repeatedly suggested that “very soon” there could be ground attacks in Venezuela to further that objective.
Rubio expressed skepticism about the possibility of reaching an agreement with Maduro to halt drug trafficking, noting the president’s history of failing to uphold commitments. “If you wanted to reach a deal with him, I don’t know how you could do it. He’s broken every agreement he’s signed. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, though,” Rubio said, recalling how the Maduro regime negotiated the Barbados Agreement with the Biden administration in 2023, promising free elections in Venezuela.
However, the regime subsequently barred opposition leader María Corina Machado – this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate – from participating in the July 2024 elections, which Maduro claimed to have won in a vote widely denounced as fraudulent.
“They deceived Biden, they won’t deceive Trump,” Rubio asserted. The Trump administration has been evaluating options for continuing its strategy against the Venezuelan regime to combat drug trafficking originating from the country’s coasts. This development underscores the increasingly complex geopolitical dynamics in the region.
Last week, the U.S. State Department, led by Rubio, designated Maduro and his allies as leaders of what it considers a foreign terrorist organization, the Cartel of the Suns. Officials say this designation provides the U.S. with expanded military options for launching attacks within Venezuela.
The U.S. military has deployed more than a dozen warships and approximately 15,000 troops to the region, conducting 21 strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels, resulting in 83 deaths. Trump indicated Wednesday he was prepared to release video footage of a second lethal attack against a suspected narcolancha that killed two survivors of a previous missile strike on September 2.
“I don’t know what they are, but whatever it is, there’s no problem, we’ll release it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. The first U.S. attack against a suspected “narcolancha” resulted in 11 deaths, according to Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The White House recently confirmed a second attack that killed survivors of the first in the water, which some Democratic lawmakers have described as a potential war crime. The White House and Pentagon maintain Hegseth was not involved in the decision, attributing responsibility to the admiral overseeing the operation.
Regarding “Operation Southern Lance,” Rubio reiterated that the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean and Pacific – the largest since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis – is a counter-narcotics mission and not preparation for a war to change the regime in Venezuela. Trump described the operations as going “far beyond a pressure campaign” against the Maduro government.
Maduro, who has mobilized thousands of troops in recent weeks during military exercises, claims Washington’s objective is to overthrow him. Reports indicate that during a phone call on November 21, Trump issued an ultimatum to Maduro to step down.
Maduro confirmed the call Wednesday, describing the conversation as respectful and “cordial” and offering no details on the topics discussed. “If that call means that steps are being taken towards a respectful dialogue between states, between countries, then welcome dialogue, welcome diplomacy, because we will always seek peace,” Maduro said.
He added in English: “Welcome dialogue, welcome diplomats, welcome the peace. Peace, yes. War, never, never in your life.”
On Wednesday, Trump also spoke about his call with Maduro. “I spoke with him briefly, I just told him a couple of things, and we’ll see what happens with that,” he said during a press conference at the White House.
The U.S. on Wednesday imposed sanctions on alleged affiliates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and increased the reward to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, one of the group’s leaders, whom the Trump administration designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
Tren de Aragua has also been cited as justification for the military strikes against suspected “narcoterrorist” vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, as well as the Trump administration’s raids against illegal immigration on U.S. soil.
Amidst the pressure from Washington, Venezuelan officials said deportation flights transporting Venezuelan migrants were scheduled to resume from the United States on Wednesday, despite Trump’s Saturday warning that Venezuelan airspace should “be considered closed in its entirety.”
The Maduro regime stated it had approved a landing request from a flight operated by ICE, marking an unusual moment of cooperation between the Trump administration and Venezuelan authorities during weeks of escalating tension.
According to a Telegram post by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil, a deportation flight carrying 379 people aboard, operated by Eastern Airlines, received permission to land at Simón Bolívar International Airport, outside Caracas, on Wednesday.
