Miami Herald Report: U.S. Preparing to Attack Military Targets in Venezuela

The Donald Trump administration has reportedly decided to launch attacks on military installations inside Venezuela, and such an operation could occur at any moment. The U.S. military is preparing the next phase of its campaign against alleged drug traffickers, according to a report by the Miami Herald.

A Wall Street Journal report also highlighted the planned attack. According to the report published on Thursday (October 30), the targets would be military facilities used by drug trafficking organizations run under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and senior members of his administration.

The Miami Herald reported that attacks on these targets could be carried out by air over several days or hours, with the objective of dismantling the drug cartels. U.S. officials claim that these cartels traffic around 500 tons of cocaine annually, destined for Europe and the United States.

The Miami Herald noted that sources refused to confirm whether Maduro himself is a target, but one source said that his time is running out. The source stated, “Maduro himself is about to be trapped and will soon see that he cannot flee the country, even if he decides to.”

The report added, “Even worse for him, multiple generals are now willing to hand him over. They fully understand the difference between talking about death and witnessing it.”

Earlier this year, Washington doubled the reward for Maduro’s capture to $50 million, the largest ever. A reward of $25 million was also announced for several of his top aides, including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who U.S. officials allege is involved in drug trafficking.

Recently, U.S. military presence in the Caribbean region around Venezuela has increased. Following Trump’s orders, guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops have been deployed. Several U.S. warships are expected to arrive in the Caribbean in the coming weeks.

Since September, the U.S. military has been attacking vessels in the Caribbean Sea, carrying out 12 attacks to date, including the latest on Wednesday (October 29). These attacks have killed over 50 people.

The Trump administration claims that these vessels are coming from Venezuela and attempting to enter the United States, and alleges ties between the vessels and President Nicolás Maduro.

A team of independent U.N. experts has called the U.S. attacks on Venezuelan ships in international waters “extrajudicial killings” and urged their cessation. However, the Trump administration has ignored these calls.

In an interview with CBS this week, U.S. Senator Rick Scott stated that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should leave the country immediately, claiming that his days in power are numbered. He said, “Maduro’s days are numbered in Venezuela.”

President Nicolás Maduro has condemned U.S. military activity, accusing Washington of wanting “to ignite a new, endless war.” Recently, as part of strengthening Venezuela’s air defense, the country announced the deployment of 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S anti-aircraft missiles nationwide.