The seas near Venezuela have suddenly become a flashpoint.
In just a matter of weeks, U.S. forces have launched strikes that sank three Venezuelan vessels, a move President Donald Trump says is part of an expanding campaign against what he calls “narco-terrorists.”
This military push is stirring fears of a wider conflict as the U.S. and Venezuela trade sharp warnings, leaving many wondering if the Caribbean is on the brink of something much bigger.
Trump Confirms Three Strikes
Speaking from the White House lawn before boarding a flight to the U.K. with First Lady Melania, Trump told reporters that the U.S. had taken out more vessels than previously acknowledged.
“You saw two, but it was actually three,” he explained, noting that barely any ships—“not even fishing boats”—dare to enter the waters now.
His comments came just a day after he shared a video on Truth Social showing a Venezuelan boat consumed by flames following a U.S. strike.
According to Trump, three suspected narcotics traffickers were killed in that operation.
Questions Over Secrecy and Oversight
While Trump has been quick to publicize the strikes through short, edited clips online, lawmakers say they are being kept in the dark.
According to reports, the administration has blocked senior congressional staff from classified briefings, limiting oversight on both the planning and the legal grounds for the attacks.
Even more troubling, some survivors of the first strike were reportedly killed in a follow-up attack, raising fresh questions about rules of engagement.
But with new restrictions in place, Congress has been unable to fully review the details.
Maduro Sounds the Alarm
Across the border, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is warning his people to prepare for the worst.
He claims the U.S. is gearing up for a possible invasion and has called for a “perfect fusion” of military, police, and civilian forces to defend the nation if attacked.
Trump, asked directly about the threat of invasion, didn’t shut the door on the possibility of a direct clash.
Instead, he shifted blame squarely onto Maduro’s government, urging him to “stop sending drugs” and even accusing Venezuela of shipping prisoners into the U.S.
U.S. Officials Compare Operations to War on Terror
The rhetoric isn’t just coming from the president.
On Capitol Hill, Trump’s FBI Director, Kash Patel, told senators that drug cartels should be treated the same way the U.S. treated al-Qaeda after 9/11.
“These groups need to be hit with the same force we used against terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan,” Patel argued.
He explained that tackling such powerful trafficking networks would require an “interagency” strategy, blending intelligence and military action, whether through “kill operations,” captures, or joint missions with partner nations.
Framing Drug Cartels as a National Security Threat
Trump has made clear that he sees drug traffickers as more than just criminals—he calls them “narco-terrorists” and describes narcotics smuggling as a “deadly weapon” killing American citizens.
By framing the fight this way, the administration is positioning cartels as a direct national security threat, not just a law enforcement problem.
His warning to traffickers was blunt: the U.S. is actively pursuing anyone tied to drug smuggling that puts American lives at risk.
A Pattern of Escalation
This recent string of strikes follows another deadly incident earlier in September, when U.S. Navy forces targeted a boat allegedly carrying traffickers, killing 11 people.
With each new attack, the campaign appears to be widening—and so do the stakes.
As tensions mount, one question lingers: is this the start of a long-term military confrontation in the Caribbean, or a high-profile show of force aimed at deterring cartels and warning Maduro?