TEHRAN – The latest statements from President Donald Trump mark one of the most serious escalations in the long confrontation between the United States and Venezuela.  

By openly saying that the United States will begin targeting alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking networks “by land,” Trump has introduced the possibility of a ground incursion into Venezuelan territory. This is no longer just rhetoric. It comes at a moment when the U.S. military already has a large presence in the Caribbean, with more than a dozen warships, an aircraft carrier group, stealth aircraft, and thousands of troops deployed under what the Pentagon calls “Operation Southern Spear.”

Since early September, U.S. forces have carried out more than 20 lethal strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. These attacks have killed more than 80 people, and many Latin American governments, as well as legal experts, have described the operations as extrajudicial killings. Washington has not provided evidence that the targeted vessels were actually carrying drugs. Reports from the region say many of those killed were fishermen, not traffickers. This absence of proof is central to understanding why Trump’s threats of expanding the campaign onto land have generated such alarm.

The U.S. government’s claim that high-ranking Venezuelan officials are part of a drug-trafficking network known as the “Cartel de los Soles” is also contested. Experts say this term is more a political label than a structured criminal organization, and U.S. authorities have not produced clear evidence linking the Venezuelan state to major drug flows. Even the U.S. Justice Department, in private briefings to lawmakers, has said its legal opinion only covers strikes on suspected drug boats in international waters and does not justify attacks on land inside Venezuela. This makes Trump’s suggestion of upcoming ground action even more legally questionable.

For many observers, the drug-trafficking narrative functions as a political pretext. They argue that Washington’s broader objective is to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro and gain leverage over Venezuela’s vast oil resources—the largest proven reserves in the world. U.S. policy toward Venezuela has long been shaped by the strategic value of these energy assets, and critics believe the current military posture fits into a wider pattern of pressure aimed at achieving regime change. Maduro has publicly accused the United States of using drug allegations as an excuse to prepare for military intervention, a claim that finds resonance among regional governments wary of U.S. action.

The combination of Trump’s public language, the large-scale U.S. military deployment, and the record of lethal strikes at sea has created a dangerous moment. Without transparent evidence to support Washington’s accusations, the impression grows that this campaign is motivated more by geopolitical goals than by counter-narcotics efforts. A ground operation would not only violate Venezuelan sovereignty but also risk triggering a wider regional crisis.