Trump: Ground Operations in Latin America to Begin Soon / Specific Targets Expected

According to Rokna, citing Al Jazeera, Trump stated that the U.S. intends to commence ground operations aimed at drug trafficking networks in Latin America. Meanwhile, an analysis revealed that the U.S. military has conducted aerial patrols over the Venezuelan coast, and the leader of the opposition in Venezuela has expressed support for increasing pressure on Nicolás Maduro until his resignation.

He added that the anticipated ground operations may target specific individuals and are not necessarily limited to Venezuela. He said these operations are part of what he described as the "war on drugs," but did not specify the timing or location of the operations.

Last Monday, Trump told the website Politico: "Maduro’s days are numbered," and he did not rule out a possible U.S. ground invasion of Venezuela.

Despite these remarks, Newsweek, citing a White House official, reported that deportation flights to Venezuela will continue and denied the Venezuelan Ministry of Interior’s announcement regarding the suspension of a flight carrying deported individuals scheduled to arrive in the country.

Venezuela has officially confirmed that it has agreed to accept citizens deported from the United States, stating that this action is part of its responsibility toward its citizens, despite ongoing political and diplomatic tensions with Washington.

Aerial Operations

In this context, an analysis by Agence France-Presse showed that in recent weeks, the U.S. military has conducted flights over the Venezuelan coast using fighter jets, bombers, and reconnaissance drones.

As part of what Washington calls anti-drug efforts, a large naval fleet has been deployed in the Caribbean region, and since September, operations have been carried out against vessels suspected of trafficking drugs, resulting in the deaths of approximately 90 people.

These operations and the military buildup have intensified regional tensions, with Nicolás Maduro, the leftist president of Venezuela, accusing Washington of using the drug trade as a pretext to change the regime in Caracas.

According to data from the flight tracking website FlightRadar24, two U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter jets flew for over 40 minutes on Tuesday above the Gulf of Venezuela, approaching within just over 35 kilometers of the coast. At the start of the mission, another military aircraft was also flying north.

On the same day, a long-range reconnaissance drone flew for several hours along a stretch of approximately 800 kilometers over the Caribbean Sea; this is the first time in at least a month that signals from such a drone have been observed.

Additionally, on Friday morning, another high-altitude drone flew over the same area.

Between late October and late November, five B-1 and B-52 bomber flights, along with two F/A-18 fighter flights, were recorded within 40 kilometers of the Venezuelan coast.

Other aircraft not registered in the data also flew over the Caribbean Sea; for instance, images released by the U.S. military showed bombers accompanied by F-35 stealth fighters, which did not appear on FlightRadar24.

U.S. Admiral Resigns

In this framework, a U.S. admiral who oversaw the large-scale military buildup in the Caribbean and operations against boats suspected of carrying drugs resigned yesterday, after serving one year in the position.

Admiral Alvin Holsey had announced in mid-October his intention to leave the position as commander of the U.S. Southern Command, overseeing U.S. forces active in Central and South America.

Holsey had expressed concerns regarding the attacks on vessels, but did not provide reasons for his early resignation, and the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) also did not clarify the cause. General Ivan Pitus succeeded Alvin Holsey.

Opposition Leader Support

Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado announced her support for increasing pressure on Nicolás Maduro to step down from power.

Machado — Nobel Peace Prize laureate 2025 — told the American network CBS: "I welcome more pressure so Maduro understands he must go. His time is up." However, she emphasized that she is not aware of any potential U.S. intervention plans.

The United States has accused Maduro of leading a drug trafficking cartel and has set a $50 million reward for information regarding him.