U.S. Prepares Strikes on Venezuela

U.S. officials and international outlets report the Trump administration has prepared air and naval strikes against Venezuelan military bases to dismantle the Cartel de los Soles and related narcoterrorist networks, with strikes possibly occurring within days or hours. The campaign follows repeated maritime strikes on suspected drug‑smuggling vessels — actions rights groups and the U.N. have criticized as extrajudicial and that reportedly killed dozens — and includes a doubled $50 million reward for information leading to President Nicolás Maduro’s arrest plus additional bounties for senior lieutenants. Washington has massed a large Caribbean force — roughly 10,000 troops, a carrier strike group, submarines and long‑range bombers including B‑52s and B‑1s — and there are reports of covert CIA actions and FAA flight restrictions that have heightened regional alarm. President Trump has publicly denied having made a final decision to order strikes. Analysts and legal critics warn the operation’s legal rationale and possible geopolitical motives risk broader escalation, and reporting remains fluid with heavy reliance on anonymous sources.