President Donald Trump confirmed on December 26 that the U.S. military is preparing strikes on drug-production sites and trafficking routes inside Venezuela after months of targeting drug-smuggling boats, according to an X post by retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn shared between 10:45 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. UTC. Trump called land targets "much easier" and warned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro it would be "smart" to step down, stating tougher action could follow and that any country producing drugs for the U.S. is a potential target, as quoted in Flynn's post at https://x.com/GenFlynn/status/2004671999260455025. Flynn advocated for a land strike with a 500-pound bomb near Maduro accompanied by leaflets warning of a 2,000-pound bomb next time, urging Maduro's removal to allow a legitimate government to step in, and tagged Trump, Secretary Rubio, Director Gabbard, and Secretary of War in the post. This development follows recent U.S. Air Force activities, including KC-46 tankers at McGuire AFB on December 25 and over 47 aircraft positioned at Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida, as reported in prior updates earlier on December 26.
