Trump: Maduro’s Days Numbered Amid U.S. Buildup

President Trump told CBS’s 60 Minutes he believes Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered,” but said he doubted the United States would go to war and declined to confirm reports of possible land strikes. The administration has surged military assets to the Caribbean — including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group, roughly 10,000 troops, warships, fighter jets (including F-35s), Reaper drones and reported B-1 bomber flights — while carrying out strikes on vessels accused of drug trafficking that critics say have killed dozens. The White House frames the operations as counterdrug missions, but U.S. officials and legal experts say the actions also aim to oust Maduro and have raised legal concerns about some strikes. Reporting indicates U.S. forces have identified potential targets inside Venezuela and that covert CIA action has been authorized, though Trump refused to discuss operational details. Caracas condemned the buildup as a violation of sovereignty and an attempted coup, while Maduro rejects U.S. accusations that he runs “narcoterrorist” cartels and the U.S. has reportedly offered a bounty for his arrest.