President Donald Trump said Thursday that U.S. military operations against Venezuela’s so-called Cartel de los Soles — until now limited to blowing up speedboats suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean — will soon expand onto land, signaling potential incursions inside the South American country.

Trump’s comments came as Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro continued shoring up support within the armed forces, urging the Air Force on Thursday to remain on high alert amid the massive buildup of U.S. military assets across the southern Caribbean.

Speaking during a Thanksgiving call with service members, Trump said the U.S. Armed Forces would “very soon” begin land-based efforts to stop what he called “Venezuelan drug traffickers,” claiming maritime operations have already produced “significant” results, AFP reported.

He said recent U.S. actions in the Caribbean and Pacific have destroyed more than 20 boats allegedly linked to drug networks — mostly from Venezuela — and resulted in more than 80 deaths since Sept. 1. Trump asserted the United States has stopped “85%” of maritime flow and accused Venezuelan groups of “sending poison” to the U.S., where he said it kills “thousands of people a year.”

The remarks come as Washington intensifies pressure on Caracas. Since Nov. 16, the Pentagon has deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford — the largest and most advanced aircraft carrier in the U.S. fleet — to the region. On Monday, the State Department designated the Cartel de los Soles, which it says is led by Maduro and his top brass, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization — a move is widely interpreted inside Venezuela as one that could pave the way for U.S. military action, turning the Maduro regime into a military target.

Despite the escalation, Trump said earlier this week he has not decided to bomb Venezuelan infrastructure or directly target Maduro. He added that he is willing to talk with the Venezuelan leader “to save lives,” but warned that Maduro could choose to do things “the easy way or the hard way.” He did not specify what concessions he would demand.

The U.S. Air Force reported that B-52H bombers also conducted demonstrations over the Caribbean on Monday. The broader buildup — underway for more than two months — now includes the Gerald R. Ford, at least 10 warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 fighter jets. While commanders insist the deployment supports counter-narcotics missions, the level of firepower far exceeds what is typically assigned to drug-interdiction operations.

Concern over rising tensions has spread beyond the military sphere. Six airlines suspended service to Venezuela over the weekend after the U.S. issued a warning to civilian aircraft about risks stemming from heightened military activity in the region.

Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, Avianca, Caribbean Airlines, Brazil’s GOL and Chile’s LATAM halted flights, said Marisela de Loaiza, president of Venezuela’s airline association. She did not indicate how long the suspensions would last.

In Caracas, Maduro responded defiantly during a ceremony marking the 105th anniversary of the Bolivarian Military Aviation. Speaking remotely, he warned that if Venezuela were forced to declare itself a “republic in arms,” it would be “destined for victory.”

Wearing military attire, Maduro urged the Air Force to remain “serene, alert, ready and willing” to defend national sovereignty. He accused “imperialist” powers of trying for 17 weeks to destabilize the Caribbean and South America with “false and extravagant arguments.”

He insisted that neither sanctions nor the economic blockade nor what he described as a psychological war had weakened Venezuela’s resolve. Maduro pointed to increases in civilian enlistment and praised what he called the government’s coordinated “popular–military-police unity” in defense of peace and stability.

_____

©2025 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.