US President Donald Trump did not rule out a military intervention in Venezuela and stated that Nicolás Maduro's"days are numbered" in an interview with Politico, which once again puts the spotlight on the relationship between Washington and the Venezuelan dictatorship. However, the president avoided answering more directly about the possibility of sending ground troops, although he left the door open to direct action."I don't comment on that," he said when asked about a potential deployment, because it is a"military strategy" about which he cannot reveal details.
In the exchange, Trump asserted that the Venezuelan dictatorship had sent individuals linked to criminal activities to the United States. He indicated that these individuals included people from prisons and psychiatric institutions, as well as people connected to drug trafficking networks. Referring to the Tren de Aragua gang, the president described an expansion of this criminal organization across the continent, linked to the Cartel of the Suns, and maintained that his administration inherited a weakened border system. He also accused the Joe Biden administration of failing to control the immigration situation. The statements came as the president insisted he would not discuss “military strategy” with Politico, a media outlet he criticized for what he considers hostile coverage.
When asked about Washington's objectives in Venezuela, Trump responded that he wants"the Venezuelan people to be treated well" and highlighted his connection to Venezuelan communities in Florida. He mentioned his relationship with residents of Doral, where he owns a resort, and noted that the support he received from Venezuelan voters in the United States shaped his perception of the diaspora. According to the interview, Trump stated that many of these citizens"contribute" and maintained that his immigration policy prioritizes welcoming people who, in his view, will contribute to the country.
The president's statements were released amid escalating tensions over Operation"Southern Spear," a military offensive announced by the U.S. government on November 13, 2025. This initiative, aimed at combating illicit drug trafficking and so-called"narco-terrorism" in the Western Hemisphere, has been defended by Trump under the premise of"expelling narco-terrorists from the Western Hemisphere."
The operation is led by the U.S. Southern Command and includes the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, which arrived in the Caribbean around November 11, 2025. The carrier strike group operates alongside destroyers, a cruiser, a submarine, and P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft. A total of approximately 15,000 personnel are participating, including 4,000 Marines. According to information released by the Pentagon, the deployment is part of a campaign that began informally in August and was officially named in November.
The Venezuelan dictatorship rejected the operation and called it a “warmongering escalation.” The regime announced the deployment of 200,000 troops as a defensive measure, according to statements from Caracas. The response included warnings about possible incidents on maritime routes used by U.S. forces, as tensions continued to rise.
As part of the operation, the United States has already confirmed several attacks against vessels linked to drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific. Among the incidents reported by Washington, one on November 1, 2025, stands out, which left three dead, and another on November 14, with four fatalities. US authorities indicated that the destroyed boats were transporting narcotics and traveling along routes identified by intelligence agencies. Some allied countries, such as Mexico, established protocols so that interceptions in international waters would be carried out by their own authorities in order to avoid unilateral actions that would violate international law.
