Trump Dismisses Potential U.S. Conflict with Venezuela Amid Military Build-Up

Tue Nov 04 2025 02:25:16 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a recent CBS interview, President Trump expressed skepticism about a war between the U.S. and Venezuela, despite significant military deployment in the region and ongoing strikes against drug smuggling operations.

During an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, President Donald Trump downplayed the likelihood of a U.S. war with Venezuela, suggesting that while Nicolás Maduro's regime faces challenges, military action is not imminent. This comes as the U.S. bolsters its military presence in the Caribbean, citing the fight against drug trafficking. Trump emphasized the importance of ongoing strikes against alleged drug vessels while denying intentions to oust Maduro despite political tensions.

Donald Trump has played down the possibility of a U.S. war with Venezuela, but suggested Nicolás Maduro's days as the country's president were numbered.

Asked if the U.S. was going to war against Venezuela, the U.S. president told CBS' 60 Minutes: I doubt it. I don't think so. But they've been treating us very badly.

For two months, the U.S. military has been building up a force of warships, fighter jets, bombers, marines, drones, and spy planes in the Caribbean Sea. It is the largest deployment there for decades.

The U.S. continues to launch strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. The Trump administration says the strikes are necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S.

Trump rejected suggestions that U.S. action was not about stopping narcotics, but aimed at ousting Maduro, a long-time Trump opponent, saying it was about many things.

At least 64 people have been killed by U.S. strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since early September, CBS News reports.

Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said: Every single boat that you see that's shot down kills 25,000 on drugs and destroys families all over our country.

Pushed on whether the U.S. was planning any strikes on land, Trump refused to rule it out, saying: I wouldn't be inclined to say that I would do that... I'm not gonna tell you what I'm gonna do with Venezuela, if I was gonna do it or if I wasn't going to do it.

Long-range bomber planes, B-52s, have carried out bomber attack demonstrations off the coast of Venezuela. Trump has authorized the deployment of the CIA to Venezuela and the world's largest aircraft carrier is being sent to the region.

Maduro has previously accused Washington of fabricating a new war, while Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said the strikes on boats are being used by the U.S. to dominate Latin America.

Trump said the government was not going to allow people from all over the world to come in.

They come in from the Congo, they come in from all over the world, they're coming, not just from South America. But Venezuela in particular - has been bad. They have gangs, he said, singling out Tren de Aragua.

He called it the most vicious gang anywhere in the world.

In this context, Trump's skepticism about a direct conflict with Venezuela raises questions about U.S. intentions and strategy in the region.