Months after a pressure campaign that has seen the U.S. military move thousands of troops and an aircraft carrier group to the Caribbean, and President Donald Trump issue repeated threats against Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration is working on plans for the day after Maduro is ousted from power, according to two senior administration officials and another source familiar with the talks.

By Kylie Atwood, Alayna Treene, Jennifer Hansler and Kristen Holmes | CNN

The plans are being drafted discreetly and kept secret at the White House, according to sources.

They include multiple options on what U.S. action could look like to fill the power vacuum and stabilize the country if Maduro leaves voluntarily as part of a negotiated exit or is forced to leave following U.S. attacks on targets inside Venezuela or other direct actions, according to the sources.

CNN has reported that Trump has not yet decided how to resolve the standoff, and multiple factions within the administration hold sharply opposing views on potential military or covert action to remove Maduro. Although Trump has repeatedly threatened escalation, including ground attacks, two senior administration officials stated there was no interest in increasing U.S. involvement in the country.

Trump has refused to rule out direct involvement in regime change, and the planning by members of the White House Council preserves his options.

It is the federal government's job to always prepare plans A, B, and C, a senior administration official said, noting that the president would not be making the threats he is making if he did not have a team prepared with a range of options for any possible outcome.

Another source familiar with the planning stated that it is the responsibility of the U.S. government to prepare for all possible scenarios around the world. The plans are closely monitored at the White House National Security Council, the source added. The Council is led by Stephen Miller, who has worked closely with Secretary of State and acting national security advisor Marco Rubio on efforts related to Venezuela in recent months.

Now, planning for the day after is more intense, requiring consideration of several different scenarios in which Maduro could relinquish power. It's unclear whether the administration has decided how it will proceed to remove Maduro, further complicating the already complex task of developing detailed plans for the following day.

The United States would have to determine how much and what kind of support it would give to the country to prevent it from descending into conflict and chaos, and how it would exert pressure to influence the country's governance if Maduro leaves after leading the country for more than a decade. While it is unlikely that the US would deploy troops on the ground, although Trump has not ruled it out, plans for economic, security, and intelligence support would be necessary, according to experts.

Several administration officials said Trump is not interested in a long and drawn-out negotiation with Maduro. Maduro will have less leeway for negotiations than Trump has given other world leaders, one of the officials said. Officials also do not consider a negotiated exit for Maduro likely, given his past failures.

Experts welcomed the administration's preparedness plans to consider what happens after a possible fall of Maduro, given how complicated and dangerous the situation could become.