By Staff, Agencies

Senior Trump administration officials have conducted internal talks on potential aggression against Venezuela, Reuters reported Friday, as the US ramps up naval and air deployments amid growing regional backlash.

According to four US officials and a source familiar with the matter, the Homeland Security Council met three times this week, including a larger session on Thursday attended by President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine. Trump was reportedly briefed on multiple military options.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, the US president signaled that a decision may be imminent, telling reporters, “I can’t tell you what it would be, but I sort of made up my mind” on Venezuela.

However, Trump also said, “We made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in,” leaving the matter of his decision ambiguous.

Washington accuses President Nicolas Maduro’s government of drug links, which Caracas denies, noting that Western media have also repeatedly refuted such claims.

The consultations come as the US deploys major military assets to the southern Caribbean, including the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group with 75+ aircraft, 5,000+ personnel, F-35s, warships, and a nuclear submarine near Venezuela.

The buildup follows two months of lethal US strikes on boats allegedly linked to drug trafficking, killing around 80 people. Legal experts, lawmakers, and governments—including France—have questioned the legality, warning the attacks may be extrajudicial executions.

A Reuters visual investigation also found that the US military is upgrading a former Cold War-era naval base in Puerto Rico, signaling preparations for sustained operations that could support potential actions inside Venezuela.

Venezuela is mobilizing troops and repositioning Russian-made weapons, preparing for asymmetric warfare if the US attacks, while Maduro accuses Washington of seeking regime change.

In August, the Trump administration doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, further escalating tensions.

Despite the administration’s rhetoric, US public support for military action in Venezuela is low: 35% back force to stop drug flows, and just 29% support targeting suspected traffickers at sea.

The crisis has strained US-Colombia ties. President Petro condemned US strikes as “murder,” while Trump called him an “illegal drug leader” and sanctioned Colombia. In response, Colombia stopped intelligence sharing with Washington.

Regional leaders, including European allies, have warned that the US buildup risks destabilizing northern Latin America at a moment of deep political and economic vulnerability.