Tensions between the United States and Venezuela are at an all-time high following the Trump administration’s decision to escalate its war on so-called ‘narco-terrorists’. The administration has now ordered at least 10 strikes on Venezuelan vessels in the past two months, killing 43 Venezuelans. Additionally, the Pentagon recently announced that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, along with its carrier strike group, will be redeployed to Latin America to “bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland,” according to a statement from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. 

Further escalation appears likely, as Trump claimed “there will be a land action.” He also stated, “I’m not necessarily going to ask for a declaration of war, I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country,” signaling that he will not be seeking congressional approval before ramping up military action. Venezuela’s President Maduro continues to accuse the United States of trying to instigate conflict between the two nations, claiming the U.S. is “fabricating a new eternal war.” According to Al Jazeera, Maduro outright rejected Trump’s allegations that he is leading Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan cartel, calling these accusations an “extravagant narrative.” In a BBC interview, Dr. Christopher Sabatini, senior fellow for Latin America at the Chatham House think tank, claimed that U.S. efforts are, as Maduro claimed weeks ago, aimed at regime change. He stated that while a U.S. invasion is improbable, the intense military buildup aims to “strike fear” amongst the Venezuelan military and Maduro’s inner circle, with the hope of instigating a coup. 

The Trump administration’s decision to deploy the U.S.S. Gerald Ford and its carrier strike group demonstrates a significant effort to strike fear into Venezuelan hearts. The warship– the largest ever constructed– not only poses a physical threat to Venezuela, but also creates a gap in the U.S.’ military presence in the Middle East. According to Fox News’ Chief correspondent for national security at the Pentagon, Jennifer Griffin, the U.S.S. Gerald Ford’s was previously stationed in the Mediterranean Sea to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) operations in the Middle East; its redeployment now leaves the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility without an American aircraft carrier. This redeployment suggests that the Trump administration views Maduro’s alleged cartel connections and Venezuela’s role in the shipment of narcotics to the U.S. as a more significant threat to U.S. security than any of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. 

One of Trump’s first actions after being inaugurated in January was to begin setting a legal framework that would eventually permit him to use military force against cartels. He legally designated Tren de Aragua and other Venezuelan cartels as terrorist organizations, using vague language that left violence as a reason to disable the cartels. Since January, the administration’s rhetoric against cartels has become much harsher, with the Secretary Hegseth even drawing a comparison between cartels and the September 11 terrorist attacks, stating: “Just as Al Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people”. This rhetoric has begun to expand beyond Venezuela; Trump recently called the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, a “guy who’s making a lot of drugs,” warning, “he and his country better watch it, or we’ll take very serious action against him and his country.” These comments could be the first steps in creating a baseless framework that would allow Trump to take unjustified, unilateral, military action against another country. 

The actions of the Trump administration, namely, the creation of a legal framework to allow the summary execution of actions against those deemed ‘narco-terrorists’, continual rhetoric against Latin American states to support this framework and unprecedented force posturing aimed at regime change, are not only wholly unjust but also outright illegal under international law. The Trump administration has made its goal clear and, unfortunately, shows no signs of abandoning the strategic plan that has been in the making for more than a year. It is likely that more strikes, including those on the Venezuelan mainland, are yet to come.