U.S. considers strikes on drug traffickers inside Venezuela – NBC report

The United States is weighing direct military action against drug traffickers operating inside Venezuela, with potential strikes being planned within the coming weeks, NBC News has reported.

According to four people familiar with the discussions — including two U.S. officials involved in the planning — military options are being drawn up that could mark a significant escalation of the Trump administration’s campaign against narcotics networks in the region. All sources spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the talks.

If approved, the strikes would be the first to target Venezuelan territory directly. President Donald Trump has not yet given authorisation, but the plans reportedly centre on the use of drones to hit trafficking groups, their leaders, and drug production sites.

In recent weeks, U.S. forces have intercepted and destroyed at least three boats originating from Venezuela, which officials claimed were carrying drugs and traffickers. President Trump, writing on Truth Social, said the operations aimed to protect Americans, although evidence of narcotics aboard all vessels has not been presented publicly. Authorities in the Dominican Republic, alongside the U.S. Embassy there, confirmed at a press conference that drugs were recovered from the sea following one such strike.

Sources told NBC that Washington’s hardened stance stems from frustration that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is not, in its view, taking sufficient action to curb the flow of narcotics out of his country.

When approached for comment, the Pentagon declined to respond. The White House referred NBC News to earlier remarks from President Trump: “We’ll see what happens. Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers and drugs. It’s not acceptable.”