Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Associated Press/Canva/Trump's Move Against Maduro
By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump has framed his feud with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a fight against narco-terrorism, but financial rather than military measures might be more effective in curbing the drug trade, a sanctions expert has told Newsweek.
Trump said he authorized a military strike on a vessel allegedly operated by the Venezuelan cartel Tren de Aragua sailing from the South American country after weeks of U.S. Navy buildup near the coast of Venezuela, whose own troops are on standby, according to Maduro.
While a U.S. invasion is unlikely, concerns that such gunboat diplomacy could spill over across the region are growing amid wider questions about the effectiveness of Trump's actions against the Venezuelan president to tackle narcotics entering the U.S.
Read More on World
Felix Cook from security intelligence firm S-RM told Newsweek Maduro "has proven persistently resilient," while sanctions analyst Brett Erickson said that Trump risks "undermining his own 'no new wars' brand."
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Newsweek in a statement that Trump is "protecting the homeland from evil narcoterrorists flooding drugs into our country and killing Americans."
He is "fully committed to use all means necessary to stop these poisons from reaching American shores," the statement added.
Why It Matters
Along with most democratic countries, the U.S. does not recognize Maduro as the president of Venezuela, following disputed elections in 2024.
One defining policy of the Trump administration is to clamp down on the narcotics entering the U.S., with Latin America a particular focus. It designated the Tren de Aragua cartel a foreign terrorist organization, linking it directly to Maduro's regime.
But the escalating confrontation has consequences beyond tackling the drug trade, which include sovereignty, international law and regional influence.
...
What To Know
Trump shared video on Tuesday of what he said was a strike on a speedboat leaving Venezuela that killed 11 "narcoterrorists" and U.S. officials have suggested more military operations could be imminent.
Maduro is accused by the U.S. government of leading a transnational drug trafficking operation known as the Cartel de los Soles. Tren de Aragua is often seen as the "armed wing" of Venezuela's criminal ecosystem, while Cartel de los Soles is said to be behind large-scale cocaine shipments using military and diplomatic channels.
Weeks ago, the U.S. announced a $50m reward for any information leading to the arrest of Maduro on drug-trafficking charges.
Felix Cook, associate director, corporate intelligence, at geopolitical and cyber risk consultancy S-RM, told Newsweek this move, combined with the deployment of a large U.S. naval and amphibious task force, showed a maximum pressure campaign by Trump to fracture the Maduro regime.
It was also targeting a transition to a government that will be more cooperative with U.S. migration and drugs enforcement goals, he said.
While this buildup and Trump's cultivated image of unpredictability could tip the balance, it may not be easy to force the Venezuelan leader from power.
"Maduro has proven persistently resilient," Cook said.
Erickson, advisor to Seton Hall's School of Diplomacy and International Relations, told Newsweek that Trump's move was "an extreme escalation in the war on drugs."
Erickson said that while Trump has been effective at targeting the cartels' finances, and cutting off liquidity, by moving to authorize kinetic strikes, "he risks undermining his own 'no new wars' brand and dragging what has been primarily a financial and enforcement campaign into a military one."
A strike on a single boat will do little to alter the economics driving the drugs trade. Cutting off cartels' access to the global banking system and restricting liquidity would be more effective, Erickson added.
What People Are Saying
Felix Cook, associate director, corporate intelligence, at geopolitical and cyber risk consultancy S-RM, told Newsweek: "Maduro has proven persistently resilient, and continued stalemate seems the likeliest outcome absent a military escalation that neither side is likely to want."
Brett Erickson, advisor to Seton Hall's School of Diplomacy and International Relation: "The only strategy that has shown meaningful impact is financial—cutting off cartels' access to the global banking system, restricting liquidity, and targeting the channels that keep them afloat."
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly: "Illicit narcotics take over 100,000 American lives every year, and the Commander-in-Chief authorized military force in international waters to prevent deadly cargo from reaching its destination."
What Happens Next
U.S Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that any narco-terrorist vessel in the region will face "the same fate" as the one the U.S. said was hit on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Venezuela has deployed troops along its coast and borders, and is urging civilians to join militias as Maduro said he was ready to respond to the U.S. naval deployment.
Experts do not believe there will be a U.S. invasion but anticipation is building over whether there could be further escalation, or a miscalculation which could spike tensions further.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines