During the first and second presidencies of Donald Trump, the possibility of a United States–led invasion of Venezuela was discussed.[1] In 2017, during Trump's first presidency, Trump said that he was "not going to rule out a military option" to address the worsening crisis in Venezuela and the autocratic government of Nicolás Maduro, a statement which was criticized by Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and Communications Minister Ernesto Villegas. Trump also had asked senior advisors about invading Venezuela, which was strongly recommended against by National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster, and the Trump administration instead opted for a campaign of sanctions and diplomatic pressure against Venezuela.
In 2019, amidst the Venezuelan presidential crisis, Trump said that American military intervention in Venezuela was "an option".
In 2020, Senator Marco Rubio had proposed an invasion of Venezuela during at least two meetings with senior White House officials months before the 2020 presidential election, but was opposed by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In November 2024, Trump appointed Rubio, who had long advocated for American military intervention in Venezuela, as his Secretary of State.
The United States surged military assets to the Caribbean in August 2025, citing the fight against drug cartels as its stated objective. On 2 September 2025, it struck a suspected drug-carrying boat with a missile and killed 11.[2] In response, Maduro mobilized the Bolivarian Militia, raising renewed concerns about the possibility of US military intervention in Venezuela.
On 11 August 2017, President Trump said that he is "not going to rule out a military option" to confront the autocratic government of Nicolás Maduro and the deepening crisis in Venezuela.[4] Venezuela Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López called Trump's statement "an act of supreme extremism" and "an act of madness." Venezuela Communications Minister Ernesto Villegas said Trump's words amounted to "an unprecedented threat to national sovereignty".[5] President Maduro's son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, stated during the 5th Constituent Assembly of Venezuela session that if the United States were to attack Venezuela, "the rifles would arrive in New York, Mr. Trump, we would arrive and take the White House."[6]
In July 2018, CNN wrote that a senior administration official stated that, in an August 2017 meeting about imposing diplomatic and financial sanctions on Venezuela, Trump asked senior advisers about the possibility of invading Venezuela. Then-National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster and other aides strongly advised against military action, warning that it could backfire and that regional allies opposed such measures. The official emphasized that there was "no imminent plan" for an invasion, describing Trump's remarks as thinking "out loud." Trump's comments were first reported by the Associated Press and came a day before he publicly stated that a "military option" against Venezuela remained possible. Trump later raised the issue with Latin American leaders on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, though they uniformly rejected the idea. The Trump administration subsequently pursued a policy of sanctions and diplomatic pressure on Venezuela while continuing to call for free and fair elections.[7]
In September 2018, the Council on Foreign Relations assessed that an American military intervention in Venezuela would "be a disaster". The CFR also assessed that the United States would need over 100,000 troops to invade the country and that, American troops would have to deal with Venezuela's destroyed infrastructure, armed militias, local drug cartels, and the blame from international observers if they are unable to rebuild the nation.[8]
In an interview on CBS NewsFace the Nation in January 2019, Trump said, "Well, I don't want to say that, but certainly it's something that on the – it's an option." which left the possibility that the U.S. could intervene militarily if Maduro's government continues to repress opposition and violate human rights openly.[9]
In April 2020, just one week after U.S. federal prosecutors indicted Maduro on narcoterrorism charges, President Trump announced at a White House press conference that the U.S. was deploying Navy destroyers, surveillance aircraft, and additional military personnel to the Caribbean near Venezuela.[10] The operation was presented as part of an anti-drug crackdown aimed at countering what Trump called a “growing threat” from cartels seeking to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic. Defense Secretary Mark Esper supported the move, stating that drug traffickers and “corrupt actors, like the illegitimate Maduro regime,” relied on narcotics profits to maintain power, while emphasizing that the Venezuelan people continued to suffer under Maduro’s rule.[11]
In May 2020, Trump said in a conversation with the television network Fox News that "If we ever did anything with Venezuela", in that case "it would be called invasion", explaining: "if I wanted to go into Venezuela I wouldn't make a secret about it", and "I wouldn't send a small, little group, no, no, no. It would be called an army."[12] In June 2020, John Bolton, National Security advisor at the time, published in a book that Trump said that invading Venezuela would be "cool" because it is "really part of the United States".[13]
In August 2020, an Argentine online paper wrote that Senator Marco Rubio had suggested a U.S. invasion of Venezuela during at least two meetings with senior White House officials, aiming to secure President Trump's Latino vote in Florida ahead of the 2020 presidential election. However, Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo opposed the proposal, rejecting the use of military force. This disagreement was among the reasons John Bolton resigned as National Security Advisor.[14]
Interregnum (2021–2025)
In February 2022, upon orders of President Maduro, the National Assembly of Venezuela approved the opening of an investigation against Trump and former Argentine President Mauricio Macri over leaked documents that suggested that, in 2019, Macri compromised the Argentine Armed Forces in military exercises aimed to an alleged military intervention in Venezuela.[15]
In May 2022, during an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, former United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told host Norah O’Donnell that President Trump had considered taking military action against Venezuela, as well as launching strikes on Iran, and imposing a naval blockade on Cuba. Esper stated that he opposed such proposals, describing them as “dangerous things,” and said he worked to prevent them. The remarks came shortly before the release of his memoir A Sacred Oath.[16][17]
In January 2023, former United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo published his memoir Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love. In the book, Pompeo claimed that during the first Trump administration, the United States adopted a series of aggressive measures aimed at influencing Venezuelan politics. These included applying economic pressure during the 2018 presidential election, attempting to persuade Maduro to step down, acknowledging the diplomatic status of businessman Alex Saab, and even discussing the possibility of a military intervention. Following these revelations, the National Assembly of Venezuela announced the launch of an investigation into Pompeo’s claims. Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, Foreign Minister Yván Gil, and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López each issued statements condemning the actions described, presenting them as confirmation of long-standing accusations of foreign interference and of support for opposition groups seeking to overthrow the government through non-democratic means.[18]
In May 2023, Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia, declared that Trump had made a proposal to then-president Iván Duque to invade Venezuela through Colombia, but that his advisors had stopped him.[19]
In June 2023, Trump said at a press conference in North Carolina, "When I left, Venezuela was about to collapse. We would have taken over it, we would have kept all that oil."[20]
In July−August 2025, the United States targeted drug cartels, designated the Venezuelan Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization, and doubled the reward on Maduro to $50 million.[21] Attorney General Pam Bondi described Maduro as one of the "world's most notorious narco-traffickers" and a "threat to national security."[22]
On 18 August 2025, the United States deployed three warships along with around 4,000 sailors and U.S. Marines to the coast of Venezuela with the stated goal of opposing drug cartels.[23][24][25]
PBS News wrote on 29 August 2025 that Trump was using the "military to thwart cartels he blames for the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into American communities and for perpetuating violence in some U.S. cities", and that the "U.S. government has not signaled any planned land incursion ...and analysts and current and former government officials see no possibility of an invasion in Venezuela."[26] Maduro responded to the deployment by mobilizing over four million soldiers of the Bolivarian Militia across Venezuela,[24][26] while saying that the country was at "maximum preparedness" for a possible American attack.[27] By 5 September 2025, Maduro claimed that 8 million Venezuelans had been mobilized.[28]
On 4 September 2025, two F-16 fighter jets of the Venezuelan Air Force flew over the destroyer USS Jason Dunham while in international waters. According to statements by United States Department of Defense, the action by Venezuelan aircraft is described as a "show of force" and "highly provocative move".[31][32] The following day, President Trump warned that Venezuelan aircraft would be "shot down" if they interfered with U.S. operations. Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, he said US military commanders had the authority to respond as they deemed necessary should Venezuelan planes fly over Navy ships again, adding, "If they put us in a dangerous position, they’ll be shot down."[33][34]
On 5 September 2025, Trump ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico, while ruling out the possibility of a regime change after reporters asked about Maduro's claim that the US was pursuing "regime change through military threat."[35]CNN later reported that President Trump was considering a range of options for military strikes against drug cartels operating on Venezuelan soil, including potential targets inside the country, as part of a broader strategy aimed at weakening Maduro, according to multiple sources briefed on the administration's plans.[36] In response, Maduro warned that if the US attacks Venezuela, then the country would enter a stage of "armed struggle" led by the Venezuelan people.[37]
On 9 September 2025, when asked about the possibility of removing Maduro from power, Trump responded, "We'll see what happens".[38]
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