President Trump stated in a recent interview that he does not rule out the possibility of military action against Venezuela.
“I don’t rule it out, no,” Trump said when asked about the potential conflict.
The White House has ordered a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers traveling into and out of Venezuela, escalating economic pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s government. U.S. authorities recently seized an oil tanker intercepted near Venezuelan waters.
The administration’s campaign has led to 28 boat strikes resulting in over 100 deaths, including a “double tap” operation under congressional review.
During the interview, Trump noted he does not discuss whether such actions could lead to war but confirmed it remains a possibility. When pressed for details, he stated additional oil tanker seizures would occur and provided no timeline, saying: “It depends. If they’re foolish enough to be sailing along, they’ll be sailing along back into one of our harbors.”
Trump also declined to specify whether removing Maduro from power is his ultimate objective.
In a separate statement earlier this week, Trump described Venezuela as being “completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” adding that the country would face unprecedented shock until it returned all stolen oil, land, and assets to the United States.
The president announced a “TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS” going into and out of Venezuela, claiming that individuals sent into the U.S. by Maduro’s regime during the Biden administration would be returned to Venezuela. Trump asserted that America would not permit criminals, terrorists, or hostile regimes from stealing assets.
When asked about Maduro, Trump stated: “He knows exactly what I want” and added, “He knows better than anybody.”
In an interview last week, President Trump indicated that Maduro’s “days are numbered” but declined to commit to troop deployment in Venezuela, stating, “I wouldn’t say that one way or the other.”
Recent polling shows strong public opposition to military action in Venezuela. A Quinnipiac poll released this week revealed 63 percent of Americans oppose invading the country and 53 percent disapprove of using military strikes against suspected drug traffickers on boats.
