【By Observer Net, Wang Kaiwen】 Recently, the United States has been conducting actions near the waters of Venezuela under the pretext of "drug enforcement", and President Trump has repeatedly threatened to use military force against Venezuela.

According to U.S. media outlets such as CNN and The Washington Post, on the evening of November 14th local time, Trump stated that he had "almost made up my mind" (sort of made up my mind) about how to take possible military action against Venezuela.

Four sources told CNN that this week, U.S. officials reported various options for a military operation within Venezuela to Trump, and Trump is weighing the risks and benefits of launching an "upgraded operation" to overthrow Venezuelan President Maduro.

At the same time, as part of the Pentagon's so-called "Spear of the South" operation, the U.S. military has already gathered more than ten warships and 15,000 soldiers in the area near Venezuela.

According to reports, Trump said on the 14th that he was gradually clarifying his direction in reducing illegal immigration, drug inflows, and even the possibility of a regime change in Venezuela.

"I have almost made up my mind — yes, I mean, I can't tell you what it is, but I've said it before," Trump told reporters on Air Force One when asked about high-level meetings and whether he had made a decision.

The Washington Post reported that Trump did not reveal more details. According to insiders, at the time of Trump's remarks, U.S. forces stationed in Latin America were waiting for attack orders.

These anonymous sources said that previously, the U.S. had conducted several days of high-level discussions on whether and how to strike Venezuela.

On the evening of November 13, 2025, in Caracas, Venezuela, a large number of people took to the streets for a demonstration, supporting the Maduro government and protesting the large-scale military buildup by the United States in the Caribbean Sea. Oriental IC

According to CNN, on the evening of November 12th, a small group of officials including Defense Secretary Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Keane briefed Trump. On the 13th, a larger national security team, including Secretary of State Rubio and other senior officials, met with Trump in the Situation Room.

In both meetings, Trump and his team reviewed possible targets for strikes.

The report pointed out that Trump has many options regarding Venezuela, including air strikes on military or government facilities and drug trafficking routes, or taking more direct action, i.e., "taking out Maduro."

However, CNN believes that Trump may also decide to abandon any action. Last month, U.S. government officials told Congress members that there is currently no legal basis for the U.S. to attack any land targets in Venezuela. At the end of last month, Trump also said in an interview with CBS that he had not considered attacking inside Venezuela.

CNN cited informed sources who said that during last week's meetings, Trump seemed cautious about operations that might fail or put U.S. troops at risk.

Earlier on the 14th, a U.S. official told The Washington Post that Trump had been presented with "a series of choices". This official said that Trump "is very good at maintaining strategic ambiguity; one of his strengths is not revealing or publicizing what he plans to do next to our adversaries."

In recent weeks, the U.S. has concentrated naval forces in the Caribbean Sea. The Trump administration has already launched attacks on at least 20 ships suspected of drug trafficking. U.S. officials claim the move aims to disrupt drug inflows into the United States.

On November 11th, the largest U.S. aircraft carrier, the Gerald R. Ford, led a carrier strike group to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, deployed in the Caribbean Sea.

The Washington Post quoted an insider who said that fighter pilots on board the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier have been studying Venezuela's air defense systems, but they are still unsure if they will receive attack orders. Two other insiders revealed that the U.S. military planning has increased the idea of involving elite forces such as the Delta Force.

In addition to the aircraft carrier, the U.S. has gathered approximately 15,000 troops and more than a dozen warships in the region, including a cruiser, several destroyers, an anti-missile defense command ship, an amphibious assault ship, and an attack submarine. At the same time, the U.S. has deployed 10 F-35 fighters to Puerto Rico, which has become an important hub for the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean region.

Facing the large-scale military buildup by the U.S., the Venezuelan military announced on the 11th that it would hold a large-scale military exercise lasting two days, aiming to improve the command, control, and communication capabilities of the army to fully protect the country, mobilizing nearly 200,000 troops for the exercise.

CNN pointed out that if the U.S. wants to implement a regime change in Venezuela, it could allow Trump and his team to achieve a feat that past U.S. governments have found difficult, including installing so-called "elected" leaders, strengthening cooperation on drug and immigration issues, and potential oil trade opportunities.

However, experts also warned that if Trump orders an attack within Venezuela to overthrow Maduro, he may face serious challenges, including internal divisions among the Venezuelan opposition and a military prepared to launch a rebellion.

Maduro again warned the U.S. not to interfere militarily in Venezuela during a meeting in Caracas on the 14th. He questioned, "Do Americans want to see another Gaza in South America?" "Do Americans want to repeat the atrocities of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Libya?"

Maduro sent a direct message to the U.S.: "Stop those hands that order bombing, killing, and bringing war to South America and the Caribbean. Stop the war, reject war."

CNN pointed out that continued U.S. involvement could undermine the political coalition that brought Trump to power, which promised to keep the U.S. away from overseas wars. Vice President Vance and Defense Secretary Hagel served in the Iraq War, and since then, they have both expressed doubts about U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts.

At the same time, The Washington Post pointed out that the large-scale military mission of the Trump administration in Latin America has already made some of Washington's close partners in the region uneasy.

This week, Colombia, which has long cooperated with the U.S. in anti-drug operations, announced the suspension of intelligence sharing with the U.S. The country's president, Petro, said that this decision was due to "human rights" necessities.

President of Mexico, Sheinbaum, said that after the U.S. launched an attack in waters about 400 miles from Acapulco, Mexico, the Mexican government representatives met with U.S. officials. "We disagree with these attacks," Sheinbaum said.

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