WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Friday stated that the United States is not talking about regime change in Venezuela, even as his administration ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 stealth fighters to the region and is reportedly weighing potential airstrikes inside the country as part of a major military build-up in the Caribbean.
"We're not talking about that, we're talking about you had an election that was, to put it mildly, very strange," Trump said, referencing the contentious 2024 election which the Venezuelan government said President Nicolás Maduro had won.
Trump was responding to reporters' questions about a statement made by Maduro earlier this week, in which the Venezuelan leader claimed the U.S. was seeking "regime change through military intimidation."
"The U.S. government should abandon its plan for a violent regime change in Venezuela and throughout Latin America, and respect sovereignty, the right to peace, and independence," Maduro said on state television, while also adding an overture to his U.S. counterpart. "I respect Trump. There is not a single difference between us that could lead to military conflict. Venezuela is always open to dialogue."
The diplomatic rhetoric comes amidst a sharp escalation in U.S. military operations in the region. On Tuesday, a U.S. military airstrike sank a boat from Venezuela, killing 11 people aboard what Trump alleged was a vessel transporting illegal drugs.
The administration is now considering options for further military action, including the possibility of striking suspected drug cartel targets inside Venezuela, CNN reported on Friday, citing multiple sources briefed on the plans. Such a strike would mark a significant and dangerous escalation. The White House, Pentagon, and State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the report.
Adding to the heightened military posture, the Trump administration has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to an airfield in Puerto Rico to conduct operations against drug cartels, sources told Reuters on Friday.
The new deployment follows another recent flashpoint. The Pentagon on Thursday accused Venezuela of a "highly provocative" flight by one of its fighter jets near a U.S. Navy warship in international waters.
Trump issued a stark warning to Venezuela in response, stating that the U.S. military has the authority to shoot down the jets if commanders believe it is necessary. "If they do in fact put us in a dangerous position, they will be shot down," Trump said.
The administration has repeatedly sought to link the Maduro government directly to the drug trade, accusations that Caracas denies. Specifically, Trump has accused Maduro of running the Tren de Aragua gang, which his administration designated as a terrorist organization in February. Maduro has denied any connection to the gang, which his government claims was neutralized following a 2023 prison raid.
On Friday, Trump sought to justify the aggressive military posture in the Caribbean by comparing the hundreds of thousands of American deaths from drug overdoses to casualties of war.
"Think of it if you were in a war and you lost 300,000 people... We're not letting that happen," he said.
