2025-10-31 17:58, updated 2025-10-31 18:30
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2025-10-31 17:58
update
2025-10-31 18:30
US President Donald Trump has denied planning attacks on military installations in Venezuela. Earlier, the Miami Herald reported that the decision on the attacks had already been made, and the president himself announced strikes against drug gangs on land.
When asked by journalists aboard Air Force One on the way to Florida, Trump answered with one word – “no” – whether the reports about a considered attack on Venezuela were true.
As the Miami Herald reported a few hours earlier, citing sources “with knowledge of the situation”, American operations will target installations used by the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) drug gang, which – according to the Trump administration – is headed by the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro. The strikes are said to be a matter of “days or even hours.” The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Trump administration had identified military installations used for drug smuggling, although these newspapers wrote that the decision to attack had not yet been made.
Despite this, Trump announced last week that he intended to expand his campaign of strikes against drug cartels – so far directed against boats suspected of drug smuggling – to targets on land, although he did not directly name the country in which these attacks were to be carried out.
– I don't think we should necessarily demand a declaration of war. I think we'll just kill people. Okay? We will kill them. They will be, you know, dead, the president said.
Although Trump did not specify where he planned to strike, he has said in the past that he may carry out attacks against gangs on Venezuelan land territory. Most of the strikes on boats believed to be carrying drugs occurred off the country's coast. The US accuses the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro, of managing drug smuggling. They have been gathering forces in the region for weeks, made two demonstration bomber flights towards Venezuela and sent the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike group there from Europe.
Although Trump had previously suggested that he might also target cartels in Colombia and Mexico, Venezuela has so far been the focus of the Trump administration's attention. Republican Senator from Florida Rick Scott said in an October 26 interview on CBS that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro's days are “numbered” because “something will happen, internal or external.” The politician advised the dictator to escape to Russia or China.
Media: US forces may attack military installations in Venezuela at any time
Donald Trump's administration decided to attack military installations on Venezuelan land territory; the impact could occur at any time, the Miami Herald reported on Friday. The Washington Post previously wrote that the administration believes military facilities in Venezuela are involved in drug smuggling.
As reported by the Miami daily, citing sources “with knowledge of the situation”, American operations will be aimed at installations used by the Soles drug gang, which – according to the Trump administration – is headed by the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro. The strikes are said to be a matter of “days or even hours.”
The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Trump administration had identified military installations used for drug smuggling, although these newspapers wrote that the decision to attack had not yet been made.
Nevertheless, Trump announced last week that he intended to expand his campaign of strikes against drug cartels – so far directed against boats suspected of smuggling drugs – to targets on land, although he did not name the country in which these attacks would be carried out.
– I don't think we should necessarily demand a declaration of war. I think we'll just kill people. Okay? We will kill them. They will be, you know, dead, the president said.
Although Trump did not specify where he planned to strike, he has said in the past that he may carry out attacks against gangs on Venezuelan land territory. Most of the strikes on boats believed to be carrying drugs occurred off the country's coast. The Trump administration accuses the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro, of masterminding drug smuggling.
When later asked whether the planned operations would result in the deployment of US troops on the territory of foreign countries, Trump did not answer the question, but mentioned Mexico and Colombia as countries with particular problems.
However, it is Venezuela that has been the focus of the Trump administration's attention so far. Republican Senator from Florida Rick Scott said in an October 26 interview on CBS that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro's days are “numbered” because “something will happen, internal or external.” The politician advised the dictator to escape to Russia or China.
From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)
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