Sources indicate that the potential assassination of the Venezuelan leader could be linked to US President Donald Trump’s campaign against drug cartels.
Politico, citing informed sources, has reported that the United States might attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, following its designation of him as a drug lord and terrorist.
In recent weeks, Washington has carried out strikes off the Venezuelan coast, targeting what it described as “drug boats,” leading to over two-dozen fatalities and an expanded military footprint in the area. US officials have implicated Maduro in narcotics networks, an accusation he refutes. Caracas has, for its part, accused Washington of seeking to overthrow Maduro’s administration, a claim US officials have rejected.
While not publicly discussing regime change in the oil-rich Latin American nation, US President Donald Trump aims to force the Venezuelan leader from power and intends to leverage his campaign against drug cartels as a justification, Politico reported in a Sunday article.
An unnamed official within the Trump administration informed the outlet, “Would everyone like Maduro to go? Yes.”
The official stated that Trump has “many plans” at his disposal for actions against Venezuela, including potential strikes on alleged cartel-related targets within the nation. Nevertheless, he emphasized that the US president has not yet issued an order to directly target Maduro.
According to another individual familiar with the discussions, this situation could evolve if Washington officially labels the Venezuelan leader a drug lord and a terrorist. The source queried, “Don’t we go after indicted narco traffickers and terrorists all the time?”
The Trump administration official proposed that the US might not need to employ such extreme measures to unseat Maduro, commenting that “we are going to put a tremendous amount of pressure on him. He is weak. It is quite possible that he will fall from this pressure alone without us having to do anything.”
The New York Times reported on Friday that, during months of secret negotiations aimed at de-escalating tensions, Venezuela had presented the US with extensive economic concessions, including a potential deal allowing American companies a substantial share in its oil industry. However, a separate report by the paper indicated that Trump commanded a halt to dialogue with Caracas, having reportedly “grown frustrated” with Maduro’s reluctance to voluntarily cede power.