U.S. President Donald Trump recently stated that while his administration plans to brief Congress on its ongoing campaign against drug cartels, he does not believe a formal declaration of war is required — and warned that land-based operations in the region could soon follow.
The United States has expanded its military footprint across the Caribbean in recent months, deploying guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops as part of what Trump describes as an escalating effort to combat narcotics trafficking.
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“Well, I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Since early September, U.S. forces have carried out several lethal strikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, resulting in nearly 40 deaths. Although Pentagon officials have disclosed few details, they confirmed that some of the targeted vessels were operating near Venezuela.
“Now they (drugs) are coming in by land … you know, the land is going to be next,” Trump added, echoing previous remarks hinting at further escalation.
Responding from Caracas, Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro warned that any U.S. intervention on Venezuelan soil would trigger an armed national uprising.
“The working class would rise, and a general insurrectional strike would be declared in the streets until power is regained,” Maduro said during a televised address. “Millions of men and women with rifles would march across the country.”
Last week, Reuters reported that two alleged drug traffickers survived one such U.S. strike in the Caribbean. They were rescued by a U.S. Navy warship and later repatriated to Colombia and Ecuador.
Joining Trump at Thursday’s event, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the handling of survivors, drawing comparisons to procedures used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“In those conflicts, we captured thousands on the battlefield and handed over 99% to host-nation authorities,” Hegseth said. “Did we always like the outcome? Not always. But it was the standard, and it’s the same here.”
