According to some CNN sources, U.S. President Donald Trump was briefed this week on options for military operations in Venezuela to pave the way in the country. Trump has not yet decided on how to proceed, and he is carefully weighing the risks and benefits of launching a more extensive campaign. The president has previously expressed concerns about the effectiveness of taking military action to remove Nicolas Maduro.
During Wednesday’s briefing, the president received an updated set of options to consider, but there were no indications that he is any closer to making a decision, according to one source. Another individual familiar with the briefing noted that the options presented were similar to those discussed at the Pentagon and some that have been made public in recent weeks.
The target options for a new operation called “SOUTHERN SPEAR” have been developed by the United States Southern Command, which has established planning cells for this purpose. This information comes from a senior U.S. official familiar with the planning. Top officials from Trump’s national security team, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, presented these options.
Hegseth announced the operation on X Thursday night but did not provide specific details. He stated, “Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and @SOUTHCOM, this mission defends our homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our hemisphere, and secures our homeland from the drugs that are killing our people. The Western Hemisphere is America’s neighborhood – and we will protect it.”
Operation Southern Spear
Earlier in January, Southern Command had already announced an operation named “Operation Southern Spear,” which will employ “long-dwell robotic surface vessels, vertical take-off and landing robotic air vessels, and small robotic interceptor boats” to assist in counternarcotics efforts.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, described by the U.S. Navy as “the most capable, adaptable, and lethal combat platform in the world,” arrived in the Caribbean this week as part of a significant increase in U.S. military resources.
Trump has several options for dealing with Venezuela. These include airstrikes on military or government sites, targeting drug routes, and attempts to remove Maduro directly. CNN reported that the president is considering plans to attack cocaine production facilities and drug trafficking routes in Venezuela.
However, it is also possible that he may choose to take no action at all. Administration officials informed lawmakers last week that the U.S. did not have a legal justification to support attacks against land targets, although they noted it might be possible to create one. Recently, Trump told CBS’s “60 Minutes” that he was not considering strikes inside Venezuela, despite having expressed openness to the idea earlier.
US Has No Legal Justification for Attacking Venezuela
Last Week, officials from the Trump administration informed lawmakers that the U.S. is not currently planning to conduct strikes inside Venezuela and lacks a legal justification for attacking any land targets at this time. This information was shared during a briefing by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and an official from the White House’s Office of Legal Counsel.
During the classified session, lawmakers were informed that the opinion provided by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, which was previously reported by CNN, does not authorize strikes within Venezuela or in any other territories. Additionally, the “execute order” that initiated the U.S. military campaign against suspected drug boats in September does not apply to land targets, according to the briefers. In meetings, the president has appeared cautious about ordering actions that could lead to failure or endanger U.S. troops, according to sources familiar with the situation.
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