ALBAWABA - Washington, D.C. The administration of President Donald Trump has recently convened a number of high-level, confidential meetings at the White House to discuss military options against Venezuela, including direct intervention, according to senior U.S. officials.
Four officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said the talks were held within the framework of the National Security Council, with one meeting reportedly taking place on Friday. Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Keane, and a number of other security officials were among those present.
In recent months, the US has already increased its military presence close to Venezuela. F-35 fighter jets, warships, and a nuclear-powered submarine are among the reinforcements. These actions came after two months of U.S. strikes against ships off the coast of Venezuela.
More recently, with more than 5,000 personnel and more than 75 aircraft, the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group arrived in Latin America.
Trump: "Nearly Made" Decision
President Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he has "largely made" his decision on Venezuela, but he would not say what steps he plans to take. He criticized Venezuela for having close ties to drug trafficking networks and cited what he called "significant progress" in U.S. efforts to stop drug trafficking through the country.
Regime Change Is One of the Pentagon's Options
According to U.S. media reports, the president has received updated military plans from the Department of War, including direct intervention scenarios. The U.S. military is ready for a variety of operations, "including regime change in Venezuela," Secretary Hegseth confirmed.
Hegseth declared the start of Operation Southern Spear, which is being carried out by the Joint Task Force Southern Spear under U.S. Southern Command, in a post on X. According to him, the mission's objectives are to safeguard the US, destroy "narcoterrorist" networks in the Western Hemisphere, and stop illegal drug trafficking into the nation.
