【By Observer Net, Liu Bai】U.S. military is heavily deployed to confront Venezuela, and the situation in the Caribbean Sea is complex and unpredictable.

The New York Times on November 4 cited several U.S. officials, saying that the Trump administration has developed a series of military action plans targeting Venezuela, including direct air strikes on military facilities, sending special forces to arrest or kill President Maduro, and taking actions to control the country's oil fields. The U.S. Department of Justice is drafting legal opinions to link Maduro with drug cartels, making him a legitimate target for attack.

According to reports, due to concerns about the failure of operations and casualties, Trump himself has not decided how to proceed, or even whether to proceed with these plans. However, his core advisors, Secretary of State Rubio and Homeland Security Advisor Miller, strongly advocated for taking action to overthrow the Maduro government.

The report said that Trump has authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to conduct various actions within Venezuela, using information warfare and uniting anti-Maduro forces to actively undermine the Maduro government, even to capture Maduro himself. However, U.S. security officials stated that if such actions could overthrow Maduro, he would have already been out of power years ago, which is why the White House is considering military action.

The current plans being discussed at the White House are roughly divided into three categories.

The first is to bomb military facilities in Venezuela, focusing on those suspected of assisting drug trafficking, aiming to dismantle the military's support for Maduro, forcing Maduro to either flee or fall into a more vulnerable position for capture. However, critics worry this could trigger public sympathy for Maduro.

The second is to send special forces, such as the Army Delta Force or Navy SEAL Team Six, to arrest or kill Maduro. The Trump administration plans to classify Maduro as a core member of a drug cartel, thereby circumventing U.S. laws prohibiting the assassination of foreign leaders.

The third is to deploy counter-terrorism forces to seize Venezuelan airports and parts of oil fields and infrastructure. This plan is the most operationally complex and poses the greatest risk to ground U.S. forces and civilians.

The U.S. military has deployed the "Ford" aircraft carrier to the Caribbean Sea. IC Photo

The report said that Trump has not decided whether to take action, or even whether to proceed with the plans. Officials said he is reluctant to approve actions that could put U.S. troops at risk or lead to an embarrassing failure.

Helpers revealed that Trump repeatedly expressed reservations, partly because of concerns that the action might fail. Trump is not in a hurry to make a decision, but instead repeatedly asked what kind of return the U.S. could get, especially focusing on how to exploit Venezuela's oil resources.

However, several senior advisors of Trump are pushing for one of the most radical options: removing Maduro from power.

Supporters of more radical options include Secretary of State Rubio and Homeland Security Advisor Miller. Several U.S. officials revealed that they privately said that Maduro should be forced to step down.

Trump's advisors have sought additional guidance from the Department of Justice to provide a legal basis for broader military actions, thus designating Maduro as a legitimate target for attack, without requiring Congressional authorization or a declaration of war.

Although the relevant guidance documents are still being drafted, some government officials expect the documents to state that Maduro and his top security officials are core members of the drug cartel "Sun Cartel." The Department of Justice is expected to argue that although the U.S. has long had laws prohibiting the assassination of foreign leaders, this designation makes Maduro a legitimate target for attack.

The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment. But the move to find a basis for designating Maduro as a target will be another attempt by the Trump administration to expand its own legal authority.

The New York Times is concerned that if Trump decides to order actions within Venezuela, it will bring significant military, legal, and political risks. Although Trump took many risks when authorizing U.S. military bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities in June, that action did not involve the intent to overthrow or replace the Iranian government.

If Trump chooses this route, there is no guarantee the action will succeed, nor is there any assurance that the new government will be friendlier to the United States.

On November 2, during an interview with CBS, Trump was asked if he would go to war with Venezuela, and he said, "I doubt it. I think not, but they have always been unfriendly to us, not just on drug issues."

When asked if Maduro's days as president of Venezuela were "numbered," he added, "I think so, right."

Since September, the U.S. government has been deploying military forces to the Caribbean Sea and surrounding waters of Latin America under the pretext of "fighting drugs." On November 1, the U.S. Southern Command stated that the U.S. Marines completed a amphibious landing exercise near Venezuela in Puerto Rico to support the U.S. "fighting drugs" operation.

The Wall Street Journal on October 31 cited anonymous U.S. officials who disclosed that the Trump administration has selected potential targets in Venezuela within the framework of drug enforcement, including military facilities used for drug smuggling. According to one official, potential targets include ports and airports controlled by the military, which are suspected of being used for drug smuggling, including naval facilities and runways.

According to a report by The Washington Post, an internal government document showed that Maduro is seeking military aid from Russia, China, and Iran, including defense radar, aircraft maintenance, and missiles, to enhance the country's outdated military capabilities.

Kremlin declined to comment. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on October 31 that Russia supports Venezuela's "defense of its national sovereignty" and "is prepared to respond appropriately to requests from partners in the face of emerging threats."

China previously stated that the U.S. actions threaten regional peace and security, seriously infringe on the sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights and interests of other countries, and seriously violate international law. China opposes the unilateral use of force and opposes external forces interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs under any pretext.

This article is exclusive to Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569148485367300648/

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