The arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford near Latin America has brought thousands of American troops closer to Venezuela , fueling suspicions that the Trump administration may escalate its military operations, which have already claimed the lives of more than 75 people aboard speedboats in 19 US attacks.

Donald Trump has left open the possibility of attacks on land targets, although in recent days he has denied that he is considering direct military action inside Venezuela.

If the administration were to move forward, options could include military bases, cocaine processing labs, secret runways or guerrilla camps, according to former U.S. and Venezuelan military officials and counternarcotics experts.

Trump has accused Nicolas Maduro and his associates of leading the Cartel of the Suns (Cartel de los Soles), which Washington has designated a terrorist organization.

Such an accusation could constitute a legal basis for targeted attacks against the Maduro government, with the aim of weakening it or even overthrowing it.

Retired Admiral Jim Stavridis, former commander of US forces in the region, said that Washington could start with surgical strikes against targets related to drug trafficking and military infrastructure, and, if those did not work, turn against leadersof the regime.

The goal is to convince Maduro that his days are numbered.

Venezuela has weapons systems purchased during the presidency of Hugo Chavez, including Russian S-300VM anti-aircraft systems, however, according to analysts, much of them are not fully operational.

The number of active military personnel is estimated at about 100,000 people, although former officials claim it is smaller.

DEA sources and former Venezuelan armed forces officials said that possible first operations could target illegal airport corridors in the states of Apure and Catatumbo, as well as drug storage facilities in Sucre.

If the target expands beyond trafficking rings, the US could hit the military's powerful Counterintelligence Service (DGCIM).

The ELN, a Marxist guerrilla group from Colombia that operates in Venezuela with the tolerance of the Maduro regime, is also considered a possible target.

Diplomatic sources say the ELN has begun moving forces towards the border with Colombia in anticipation of possible US attacks. Analysts warn that if the ELN is hit, it could respond with terrorist attacks against the Colombian military.

They won't hit New York, said Elizabeth Dickinson of the International Crisis Group, but they could very well hit Bogota.

Internal State Department documents, cited by the Washington Post, show that the Maduro regime is closely monitoring American moves, estimating that it can withstand the pressure without collapsing.

Analysts consider it unlikely that a limited American operation would lead to a rebellion against the president.

Sources within the US administration say that even if the attacks take place, it is doubtful that they will substantially affect drug trafficking, as the majority of cocaine comes from Colombia and is mainly headed for Europe or the Caribbean islands.

Although Trump has stated that he does not believe the United States will engage in war with Venezuela, he recently reiterated that Maduro's days are numbered.

According to a briefing to members of Congress, ministers Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth assured that there is currently no preparation for a direct strike against the country nor legal documentation for such a thing.

A US official said that, as in previous operations, Trump could order the strikes suddenly and, a short time later, end them just as suddenly, without a clear strategic objective.

The USS Gerald R. Ford in Latin America

The Ford and three other escorting warships arrived in the region Tuesday morning, the Navy said. The ships have not yet entered the Caribbean, but have passed into the U.S. South America Command area of operations, which includes parts of the Atlantic and drug trafficking routes in the Pacific.

These forces will enhance the ability to disrupt drug trafficking networks and dismantle international criminal organizations, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.

However, the aircraft carrier is not considered suitable for anti-drug operations.

As Mark Kansian, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, notes, aircraft carriers are strategic assets used for power projection and deterrence in high-priority regions, such as the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.

The only reason it was sent there is for use against Venezuela. Its arrival means the timer has started: they can’t keep it there indefinitely. They will either use it or withdraw it, he said.

The Pentagon announced on October 24 that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the removal of the Gerald R. Ford from Europe, where it had been on assignment since June.

With its arrival, the number of American warships in the region now exceeds twelve,  an impressive presence in a zone that usually hosts only one or two Navy ships in support of the Coast Guard.

Since September, the Trump administration has adopted an unprecedentedly aggressive strategy, with at least 75 deaths in attacks that the White House describes as necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

The operation has raised questions in Congress about the cost, while legal experts point out that the tactic is illegal, as the targets of the strikes are small boats with civilians allegedly involved in drug trafficking, not in hostilities against the United States.

To date, 19 announced military operations have destroyed speedboats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Democrats, in response to the killings, tried unsuccessfully to regain Congress' right to declare war. Two legislative initiatives in the Senate – one to end the naval attacks and the other to prevent military intervention in Venezuela – were rejected by the Republican majority.

US attacks: 76 dead since September

United States officials have confirmed 19 military strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September 2, when the Trump administration launched a campaign against the cartels.

The death toll has risen to 76, while two people have been arrested and one is missing in Mexican waters.

Ten of the attacks took place in the Caribbean and nine in the eastern Pacific. These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than al-Qaeda and will be dealt with accordingly, Hegseth said.

Trump has justified the strikes by claiming that the United States is in an armed conflict with drug cartels, without providing specific evidence.

UN experts expressed serious concerns about the legality of the attacks, stating that these are extrajudicial executions that appear to have been carried out on government orders, without a judicial process.

Of the 19 strikes that have been made public through the official accounts of the White House and the Secretary of Defense, some of the most notable include:

• September 2 : First strike of the campaign in the Caribbean, with 11 dead.
• September 15 : Attack on a ship allegedly transporting drugs, in view of planned actions against cartels in Latin America.
• October 3 : Attack near Venezuela, with four dead. Congress was informed that the US is now in an armed conflict with the cartels.
• October 14 : Six dead off the coast of Venezuela. Trump said the strike was carried out under his orders as commander in chief.
• October 27 : Three attacks on four vessels in the eastern Pacific, with at least 14 dead.
• November 9 : New attack in the Pacific, bringing the total death toll to over 75.