Trump Denies Venezuela Strike Plans Amid Maritime Strikes

President Trump denied aboard Air Force One that he has authorized or is planning strikes inside Venezuela, calling recent media reports false. Despite the denial, the administration has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean — including sending the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group and F‑35s — and since September has carried out at least 14 strikes on vessels suspected of drug smuggling that U.S. officials say have killed more than 50 people. The White House has discussed briefing Congress on potential operations, and senior Republicans such as Sen. Lindsey Graham have warned that land strikes remain a “real possibility.” The administration has reportedly authorized covert CIA activity in Venezuela and offered a $50 million reward tied to Nicolás Maduro’s arrest. The strikes and buildup have drawn international criticism and legal scrutiny: the U.N. rights office urged a halt to maritime strikes over concerns about extrajudicial killings, while the administration frames the campaign as an anti‑narcotics effort and critics warn it risks major escalation and regional destabilization.