US Senator Lindsey Graham warns land strikes in Venezuela a "real possibility" amid escalating anti-drug operations

Washington [US], October 27 (ANI): US Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday warned that land strikes in Venezuela are a "real possibility" as the United States has stepped up air strikes on Venezuelan boats accused of transporting drugs and cartel members, signalling a sharp escalation in Washington's campaign against narco-trafficking networks in Latin America.

Speaking on CBS News, Graham revealed that "President Trump told me yesterday that he plans to brief members of Congress when he gets back from Asia about future potential military operations against Venezuela and Colombia."

His remarks come as the Trump administration reportedly weighs plans to target drug-trafficking routes and cocaine facilities inside Venezuela, though a final decision has not yet been made, according to CNN.

Amid these deliberations, signs of a possible military buildup have surfaced. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the redeployment of the US Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier strike group, the USS Gerald R. Ford, from Europe to the Caribbean. The move underscores Washington's growing military presence in the region as part of its effort to curb drug cartels and related criminal networks.

Citing US officials, CNN reported that Trump has also directed the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, further intensifying the administration's multi-pronged approach. "There are plans on the table that the President is considering," one official said, adding that Trump "hasn't ruled out diplomacy."

Another official confirmed that multiple proposals are under review, with most focusing on disrupting drug activities within Venezuela.

The US military has recently expanded its anti-narcotics operations in international waters, with heightened patrols targeting suspected Venezuelan boats. Hegseth confirmed that a strike in the Caribbean overnight destroyed one vessel and killed six people, bringing the total number of boats targeted to 10 and deaths to 43 since the operations began last month.

More than 4,500 Marines and sailors, backed by naval and air assets, are now stationed in the Caribbean to strengthen these efforts and project American military strength in the region.

While Venezuela itself does not produce cocaine, coca crops are mainly found in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. US officials argue that key trafficking routes pass through the country.

Washington has long accused President Nicolas Maduro of facilitating narcotics networks, and Maduro was charged in the US in 2020 on federal drug-trafficking offences. "Nicolas Maduro is an indicted drug trafficker in the United States, and he's a fugitive of American justice," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a trip to Ecuador in September.

When asked if he would seek congressional approval for potential strikes, Trump suggested he might continue targeting traffickers without formally declaring war. "I'm not going to ask for a declaration of war," he said. "We're just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. They're going to be dead."

Pentagon Press Secretary Sean Parnell said the movement of the Gerald R. Ford strike group and its aircraft wing was aimed at dismantling transnational criminal organisations and countering narco-terrorism.

The carrier, which had been docked near Split, Croatia, on October 21, is expected to reach the Caribbean in the coming days, marking a significant escalation in Washington's regional operations. (ANI)

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