The Trump administration is preparing for potential military strikes inside Venezuela against drug traffickers, labs, and cartel leaders, with action possible within weeks, according to NBC News sources. A senior official told Semafor that the administration will not rule out these strikes if Venezuela sends drug cartels to the United States by land or sea. President Donald Trump previously suggested action against alleged cartel members "coming by land" earlier this week. While final presidential approval has not yet been granted, U.S. military preparations are underway, as reported by NBC News. This development occurs amid heightened regional tensions and follows previous reports of potential U.S. ground invasion plans for Venezuela. The Venezuelan Air Force has been observed conducting flights, with a C-30H Hercules aircraft spotted departing Bael and heading south around 11:30 AM UTC on October 2nd, 2025, according to flight tracking data. This occurred after a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft returned to San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 9:36 AM UTC on the same day following a mission over the eastern Caribbean Sea. In response to escalating U.S.-Venezuela relations, Chavista groups, described as Maduro's paramilitary forces, have sworn loyalty to the regime in a video, chanting "Chávez lives!" This statement comes in the context of reports from yesterday indicating the Trump administration was considering a ground invasion of Venezuela, with over 6,500 U.S. troops reportedly being deployed to the region. Venezuelan forces were said to have responded by deploying anti-air defenses and repositioning troops.
