US Officials Deny Imminent Venezuela Military Strikes Amid Conflicting Reports

Reports emerged claiming the Trump administration planned imminent military strikes on Venezuelan targets linked to the Soles drug cartel, as reported by the Miami Herald and supported by The Wall Street Journal. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House officials strongly denied these claims, labeling the reports as fake news propagated by unreliable anonymous sources. President Trump himself also refuted the allegations, emphasizing that no decision had been made to launch such strikes. The Pentagon has increased its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford, but this move has not been officially connected to any immediate military action in Venezuela. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has called for military support from allies like Russia, China, and Iran amid the heightened tensions. The U.S. government has also doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest, underscoring ongoing hostilities while attempting to calm fears of an imminent escalation.