U.S. Considers Land Strikes in Venezuela Amid Escalating Drug War Tensions

The U.S. is weighing options to attack targets inside Venezuela tied to drug trafficking networks, marking a significant escalation from recent maritime interdictions. Reports indicate planning has advanced beyond sea operations as Washington maps potential land targets should President Donald Trump authorize strikes.

A U.S. carrier is moving into the theater with destroyers armed with Tomahawk land-attack missiles, alongside F/A-18 Super Hornets and EA-18 Growler electronic-warfare jets—capabilities that could expand strike options. Defense analysts suggest initial airstrikes might pressure Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle, though such actions risk a rally-around-the-flag backlash.

U.S. indictments of Maduro and top aides increase the personal cost of any negotiated exit, complicating calculations within the regime. Retired Adm. James Stavridis noted that a first wave could target naval and air force facilities ashore, with a potential second phase against “leadership targets,” adding that mounting pressure might still prompt Maduro to “fold his cards and go.”

The push to consider land targets follows a series of U.S. strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats. On Sept. 2, U.S. forces hit a vessel linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, killing 11. A second strike on Sept. 15 killed three more aboard another alleged smuggling craft, with the administration signaling maritime actions could expand.

Days after the first strike, two Venezuelan F-16s flew near a U.S. destroyer in international waters; the Pentagon called it “highly provocative” and warned Caracas against interfering with counter-narcotics operations. Venezuela has denounced the campaign as aggression and questioned U.S. evidence, with Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez suggesting the initial strike video may have been manipulated.

Official U.S. comment on prospective land targets remains limited, but the Pentagon has repeatedly framed recent actions as necessary to disrupt networks that “threaten Americans,” while withholding specifics on munitions used and seized cargo. Analysts caution that if airstrikes fail to force immediate change, escalation could follow—raising the stakes for Washington and the region.