As the military buildup in the Caribbean continues, the US president has sent mixed signals about his plans for Venezuela.
Published November 3, 2025
President Donald Trump has sent mixed signals about possible U.S. military intervention in Venezuela after threatening the South American country’s leader while denying talk of “war.”
In a CBS interview published Sunday, the president warned that President Nicolas Maduro does not have long to live. The comments came amid a buildup of U.S. forces in the Caribbean, where the U.S. has carried out multiple attacks on suspected drug-trafficking vessels, which U.N. officials and academics say is a clear violation of U.S. and international law.
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Asked if the United States intended to go to war against Venezuela, Trump said: “I doubt it. I don’t think so.”
But when asked if Maduro’s life as president is over, he replied: “I think so. I think so.”
US media reported that the US government is planning an attack on military facilities in Venezuela as part of its fight against “narcoterrorism.”
President Trump appears to have denied that he is planning an attack inside Venezuela, but he has not completely ruled out the idea.
“I hate to say I would do that,” he said. “We’re not going to talk about what to do with Venezuela.”
President Maduro, who faces indictment in the United States on drug trafficking charges, has accused the United States of using the drug offensive as a pretext to “force regime change” in Caracas to seize Venezuelan oil.
The US military has carried out more than a dozen attacks on ships in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean in recent weeks, killing at least 65 people. The campaign drew criticism from governments across the region.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk and human rights groups say the attacks, which began in early September, amount to “extrajudicial killings” even if they target known traffickers.
The U.S. government has not yet released any evidence that the targets were drug smugglers or posed a threat to the United States.
