Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has appealed to Russia, China and Iran for military assistance amid a strengthening of the American military presence in the Caribbean, according to internal US government documents cited by the Washington Post.

Some international media outlets have reported that the Trump administration has reportedly decided to attack military facilities in Venezuela, involved in drug trafficking.

The planned attacks are said to be aimed at destroying military installations used for drug trafficking.

Trump, however, in his statements ruled out the possibility of military strikes inside Venezuela. When asked by a reporter on Air Force One about reports that he was considering attacks inside the country, Trump replied simply: No. It was not clear, however, whether he was definitively ruling out the possibility or whether he was simply stating that no final decision has been made.

• In recent weeks, the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean, with warships, fighter jets and thousands of soldiers.

Maduro's appeal

The documents cited by WP reveal that Maduro drafted letters to Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping requesting radar, aircraft repairs, and possibly missile systems to bolster the country's defenses.

The letter to Moscow was to be delivered by a senior aide during his visit to the Russian capital in early October.

In the letter to the Chinese president, Maduro called for expanded military cooperation to address the escalation between the United States and Venezuela.

At the same time, Transportation Minister Ramon Celestino Velazquez reportedly coordinated a shipment of military equipment and drones from Iran, searching for passive detection systems and GPS jammers.

According to the American documents, Maduro described the presence of American forces in the Caribbean as an action against China due to their shared ideology , attempting to link the fate of his regime with that of its allies.

It is unclear how Moscow, Beijing or Tehran responded to these requests.

Russia remains Venezuela's key strategic partner. On October 27, a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft - which has been under US sanctions since 2023 - landed in Caracas, following a route through Africa to avoid Western airspace.

A day earlier, Moscow and Caracas ratified a new strategic cooperation agreement.

Despite these moves, Russian and Western analysts believe that Moscow's interest in Venezuela has waned.

The fact that the US has moved more than 10% of its navy to the Caribbean is already a victory for Putin – it distracts American attention from Ukraine , said former US ambassador to Caracas, James Story.

The beginning of close Russian-Venezuelan relations can be traced back to the era of Hugo Chavez – the two countries' relations cover energy investments, armament programs, and joint propaganda operations.

Today, Caracas faces its biggest challenge since Maduro came to power in 2013 : a US naval buildup, dozens of operations against suspected drug traffickers, and pressure for regime change.

The American fleet, with the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford as its flagship, has been deployed to the region, while Caracas denounces a rehearsal for invasion.

Washington claims that this is an operation against drug trafficking networks.

In a letter to Putin, Maduro requests the immediate restoration of the Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighters that Venezuela had purchased, maintenance of engines and radars, as well as 14 sets of Russian-made missiles. He also requests a three-year financing plan through the state-owned Rostec corporation.

Security sources in Venezuela report that much of the country's Russian arsenal is now obsolete or out of service.

Chavez bought, or Russia sold, Venezuela pure junk, a former military official said. Nevertheless, Maduro recently claimed that the country has 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S man-portable anti-aircraft missiles.

Observers point out that a possible overthrow of Maduro would constitute a serious blow to Moscow, as Venezuela is a strategic partner and economic bridgehead for Russia in Latin America.

However, Russia, preoccupied with the war in Ukraine and under severe sanctions, will hardly be able to offer substantial military support.

Expert on Russian-Latin American relations Victor Zeyfets noted that the recent cooperation treaty with Venezuela is general and does not include clear commitments to military support.

In the energy field, Russia continues to have a significant presence. Russian state-owned companies are involved in three joint ventures for oil production in Venezuela, producing about 107,000 barrels per day – about 11% of the country's total production.

At the same time, Moscow holds rights to explore and export natural gas in the Patao and Mejiones fields.

However, according to Francisco Monaldi of Rice University, the Russians are no longer making new investments.