An escalation of U.S. operations against Venezuela appears to be coming. Late on Nov. 22, Reuters cited four unnamed U.S. officials claiming that the U.S. is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days. Reuters was not able to establish the exact timing or scope of the new operations, nor whether U.S. President Donald Trump had made a final decision to act, but they compound various indications of looming action in recent weeks as the U.S. military has deployed major military forces to the Caribbean. Two of the U.S. officials said covert operations would likely be the first part of the new action against Nicolás Maduro. Other officials told Reuters the options under consideration included attempting to overthrow Maduro.
On Monday, Nov. 24, the U.S. designation of the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization for its alleged role in importing illegal drugs into the United States takes effect. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said last week that the terrorist designation “brings a whole bunch of new options to the United States.” Trump has said the upcoming designation would allow the United States to strike Maduro’s assets and infrastructure in Venezuela, but he also has indicated a willingness to potentially pursue talks in hopes of a diplomatic solution. Two U.S. officials acknowledged conversations between Caracas and Washington. It was unclear whether those conversations could impact the timing or scale of the U.S. operations.
