Karoline Leavitt: «The presence near the coasts with Venezuela is massive. It takes much more than simply countering drug trafficking operations.
Is President Trump considering launching military strikes on facilities or military installations inside Venezuelan territory?
I will not get ahead of the President on any military action or questions about that ever.
But what I can tell you is that many Caribbean nations and many countries in the region have applauded the administration’s counter-drug operations and efforts, and the President is prepared to use every element of American power to prevent drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.
And as I have said from this podium before, the Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela. It is a narco-terrorist cartel. Maduro is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive leader of this drug cartel. He has been indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into our country.
And it is the ultimate responsibility of this President and this administration to prevent the illicit flow of drugs into our country and to protect citizens from those deadly poisons.»
Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, emphasized that the U.S. military presence near the Venezuelan coast is massive and goes far beyond simple counter-narcotics operations. When asked whether President Donald Trump was considering military strikes against facilities or assets on Venezuelan soil, Leavitt replied that she would not get ahead of the President on such decisions. However, she stressed that many Caribbean and regional nations have applauded the administration’s counter-narcotics operations, and noted that the President is prepared to use every element of American power to prevent drugs from flooding the country and to bring those responsible to justice. She also reiterated that Nicolás Maduro’s regime is not a legitimate government but a narco-terrorist cartel, describing Maduro as a fugitive leader of that cartel, indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into American territory. According to Leavitt, it is the highest responsibility of the President and his administration to prevent the illicit flow of drugs and protect citizens from these deadly poisons.
The context of these statements is the U.S. naval deployment in the Caribbean and South Atlantic, which includes at least seven warships—among them guided-missile destroyers, a cruiser, a nuclear submarine, and an amphibious assault ship—along with roughly 4,500 troops, including 2,200 Marines. The declared goal is to intensify counter-narcotics operations and curb trafficking by criminal organizations such as Tren de Aragua and the Cartel of the Suns, both designated as terrorist groups by Washington. International analysts view this deployment primarily as a show of force, equipped with advanced weaponry like Tomahawk missiles, rather than an imminent invasion, although it leaves the door open to sustained military pressure.
Caracas reacted immediately. Nicolás Maduro announced the deployment of 15,000 soldiers on the Colombian border and the mobilization of between 4 and 4.5 million militiamen in defense of the country, accusing Washington of imperialist aggression.
