Trump Administration Accused of Shadow Warfare in Venezuela Amid Escalating Military Buildup
Table of Contents
The Trump administration is facing mounting scrutiny over alleged covert military actions in Venezuela, including a claimed strike on a “big facility” and a broader campaign of escalating pressure aimed at ousting President Nicolás Maduro. These actions, coupled with a significant military buildup in the Caribbean, are raising concerns about the legality and potential consequences of U.S. policy in the region.
Conflicting Accounts of a Covert Strike
Former President Donald Trump publicly claimed that U.S. forces “knocked out” a significant facility last week, alleging it was a key hub for drug trafficking or boat construction linked to the Maduro regime. “Two nights ago, we knocked that out. We hit them very hard,” Trump stated in a radio interview with John Catsimatidis, a billionaire Trump donor. He later specified that the target was an “implementation area” where drugs were loaded onto boats, claiming a “major explosion” had occurred.
However, details surrounding the alleged strike remain murky. No U.S. government agency has publicly confirmed the operation, and a senior official speaking on background to The Intercept described Trump’s initial announcement as “misleading.” The Pentagon and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt have not responded to requests for comment. The CIA, while acknowledging Trump authorized operations in Venezuela, offered no further guidance, with spokesperson Lauren Camp stating, “We don’t have any guidance for you.”
Trump has remained evasive about the identity of the forces involved, stating, “I know exactly who it was but I don’t want to say who it was.” Despite the lack of official confirmation, Trump referenced the operation during a Christmas Eve call to troops aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, stating, “Now we’re going after the land. The land is actually easier.”
Expanding Military Presence and Questionable Tactics
The alleged strike is part of a broader pattern of escalating U.S. military activity in the Caribbean and Pacific. Since September, U.S. forces have conducted nearly 30 attacks against suspected drug smuggling boats, resulting in over 100 civilian deaths. These actions have drawn criticism from legal experts and members of Congress, who argue they constitute illegal extrajudicial killings. The military is not permitted to deliberately target civilians who do not pose an imminent threat of violence, a significant departure from standard law enforcement practices in the U.S. war on drugs.
Trump has defended these actions, falsely claiming, “Every time I knock out a boat, we save 25,000 American lives.” This statement is demonstrably untrue, as approximately 77,000 Americans died from drug overdoses between May 2024 and April 2025.
A secret directive signed by Trump during the summer authorized the Pentagon to use military force against Latin American drug cartels. In August, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued an execute order directing Special Operations forces to sink suspected smuggling boats, destroy their cargo, and kill their crews. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has indicated that these strikes are specifically aimed at forcing Maduro from power, stating he wants to “keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”
Echoes of Past Interventions and a Renewed Push for Regime Change
The current situation echoes past U.S. interventions in Latin America, including covert operations to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba. A former U.S. official with ties to the defense establishment speculated that the U.S. might be engaged in a similar sabotage campaign in Venezuela. This official referenced the covert bombing of Cuban sugar mills and burning of cane fields as examples of past U.S. tactics.
Indeed, declassified documents reveal that in 1962, the Joint Chiefs of Staff proposed a range of false-flag operations to justify a U.S. invasion of Cuba, including staging assassinations, fabricating terrorist attacks, and even blowing up a U.S. ship and blaming Cuba.
Trump has renewed efforts to topple Maduro’s government, which initially failed during his first term. Maduro and several allies were indicted in 2020 on narco-terrorism charges, and the U.S. recently doubled the reward for information leading to his arrest to $50 million. Notably, Trump also pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras convicted of drug trafficking. Trump has stated that Maduro’s “days are numbered” and has not ruled out a potential invasion of Venezuela.
A Growing Military Footprint and Potential for Escalation
The Pentagon has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying over 15,000 troops and assembling the largest naval flotilla in the region since the Cold War. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest and most powerful aircraft carrier, is at the center of this buildup, carrying over 75 attack, surveillance, and support aircraft. Military contracting documents indicate that the U.S. plans to maintain this substantial military presence in the Caribbean throughout much of Trump’s term.
Recent deployments have included F-35 fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic attack jets, and various refueling and search-and-rescue aircraft, signaling preparations for sustained combat operations. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that “Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled,” and announced a “TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS” – a claim the White House has not clarified. A U.S. official revealed that the White House has ordered U.S. military forces to focus on enforcing a “quarantine” of Venezuelan oil for at least two months.
The escalating military buildup and the ambiguity surrounding alleged covert operations raise serious concerns about the potential for further escalation and the long-term implications for U.S. policy in Venezuela and the broader region.
