US preparing options for military strikes on drug targets inside Venezuela, sources say

US military officials are drawing up options to target drug traffickers inside Venezuela, with potential strikes within the country’s borders possibly beginning in a matter of weeks, four sources told NBC News.

The sources include two US officials familiar with the planning and two others familiar with the discussions. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly.

Striking inside Venezuela would mark another escalation in the Trump administration’s military campaign against alleged drug trafficking operations and in its hardline stance toward Venezuela’s government.

In recent weeks, the US military has struck at least three boats from Venezuela that were allegedly carrying narcotics and traffickers, President Donald Trump said on Truth Social. The administration has not provided evidence that drugs were on all of those vessels. However, at a press conference on Sunday, a Dominican Republic official—joined by a representative of the US Embassy—confirmed that narcotics were recovered from the water after one of the strikes.

Strikes inside Venezuela could begin within weeks, but the president has not yet given final approval, the four sources said. Two of them, along with an additional official familiar with the talks, said the United States’ recent military escalation is partly due to the administration’s view that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has failed to do enough to curb the flow of illegal drugs out of his country.

The plans under consideration primarily involve drone strikes targeting drug trafficking leaders and members, as well as drug labs, the four sources said.

When asked for comment, the White House referred NBC News to a previous statement from the president: “We’ll see what happens. Venezuela is sending us their gang members, their drug dealers, and drugs. It’s not acceptable.” The Pentagon declined to comment.

Some Trump administration officials are frustrated that the United States’ military escalation has not weakened Maduro’s hold on power or prompted any significant reaction, according to one official familiar with the discussions. The White House has faced stronger pushback than expected over the strikes on Venezuelan boats, leading the administration to weigh its next steps more carefully, the official said.

This includes backchannel discussions between the US and Venezuela through Middle Eastern leaders serving as intermediaries, NBC News has learned. According to a senior administration official, Maduro has indicated through those intermediaries that he may be willing to make concessions in order to remain in power. The official did not identify the countries involved, beyond saying they are allies.

Trump is “prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice,” the senior administration official said. (NBC News)