Trump’s Latin America Move Has The World Asking: What’s His Endgame?

As the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s most powerful and largest warship, and other ships, enter Caribbean waters to join an already large U.S. armada, President Trump is setting the stage for the next phase of what I call “Operation Maduro Overthrow” in Venezuela.

Does this mean the U.S. is preparing for war against the Venezuelan regime? Or is it simply ramping up military pressure to force the removal of Nicolás Maduro, the country’s illegitimate socialist dictator and regional bully?

While I firmly believe it is the latter, the former may also become more likely as we move forward.

If Trump and his team are as committed as they seem to be to the goal of removing Maduro, the stakes keep rising, and this could lead to a bigger conflict than they want. Something I hope and expect they are prepared for.

Since the pressure campaign on Maduro began with drone-launched missile strikes against drug-running fast boats and semi-submersible “narcosubs” coming from Venezuela, Maduro’s regime has fluctuated between offers to shorten Maduro’s time in power and mass mobilizations and calls for foreign military assistance.

Earlier, I wrote about the advanced weapons that Maduro has received, and may still be getting from Russia, Iran, and maybe China. Those weapons range from thousands of Russian shoulder-launched anti-air missiles to potentially hypersonic strike missiles.

While Venezuela’s armed forces are no match for the U.S., these weapons could pose a threat to U.S. aircraft and ships in the region.

The regime has also claimed to have mobilized a militia of four million Venezuelans. And now it has announced a “massive deployment of ground, aerial, naval, riverine and missile forces,” as part of nationwide military exercises involving nearly 200,000 personnel, including police, militias, and citizens’ defense units.

Other regime measures are intended to better coordinate these paramilitary forces with the Venezuelan armed forces.

Meanwhile, Washington has also expanded regional troop deployments and training operations aimed at Caracas in nearby friendly territories, including Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago.

After quite a few strikes against drug vessels, Trump has suggested that “land strikes [on cartels in Venezuela] are going to be next,” due to the U.S. “almost totally stopping” drug trafficking by sea, but he has denied any immediate plans.

Democrat-led efforts in the Senate have failed to require congressional approval for continued U.S. strikes, so we can see things escalating on our side.

As Newsweek notes, “with both sides claiming defensive motives, the escalation risks tipping into open conflict. For Maduro, the threat of U.S. aggression has provided an opportunity to rally support amid widespread unrest and deepening international isolation following his disputed 2024 reelection.”

It also notes that with large and growing opposing forces now positioned across the Caribbean, a minor misstep could trigger a direct confrontation.

While I’ve noted that, even with a massive aircraft carrier, U.S. forces in the region are not enough to launch a full-scale invasion of Venezuela, they can bring considerable pain to the cartels and their allies in the regime.

Ret. Marine Col. Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), gave his assessment to Military.com. The outlet noted:

…bringing in aircraft carriers, for example, could be viewed as escalation for strikes against Venezuela that could lead to land-based warfare.

As of now, he said U.S. forces in place are not adequate for a land invasion; however, they are equipped with Tomahawk missiles for example that could be “plenty adequate” for long-range air strikes.

“The character seems to have changed,” Cancian said. “Now, it’s possible that those strikes would only go against cartel targets on the ground in Venezuela. But it could easily also focus on the regime, and separating cartels and the regime isn’t always that easy.”

Cancian also cited “intimidation” as the point of the military escalation, noting how Trump authorized the CIA to operate covertly in Venezuela to prepare the way for Maduro’s removal.

“I’ve heard the theory that the administration is hoping for the regime to disintegrate so that we could come in and pick up the pieces, bring in the opposition, and have them form a new government,” Cancian said to Military.com.

“I don’t know if that’s their plan, but what they’re doing is consistent with that.”

The risk, however, I argue, is that the cartels, or regime members, decide to strike back and American service members, federal agents, or civilians die. This could trigger a far bigger U.S. response than initially planned, and regime change turns into war. 

We need to understand the risk and be prepared.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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