Axios: Maduro faces US pressure as internal military threats loom

The United States has deployed a fully loaded naval flotilla off the coast of Venezuela, including seven warships, three guided-missile destroyers, at least one attack submarine, and 4,500 personnel, to address alleged drug trafficking and exert pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is living under a $50 million U.S. bounty.

While officially framed as a drug interdiction mission, White House officials have emphasised the ambiguity of the operation, with some comparing it to the 1989 Noriega operation in Panama, as per the latest analysis by Axios.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that the U.S. views Maduro as a fugitive head of a drug cartel, not Venezuela’s legitimate president.

The deployment includes 2,200 Marines, unusual for standard counter-narcotics missions, raising speculation about potential escalation. Although administration insiders privately acknowledge that a full-scale invasion is unlikely, aggressive interdictions of suspected drug shipments and possible airstrikes on cartel or ammunition facilities are expected.

Maduro, meanwhile, condemned U.S. actions as “immoral, criminal, and illegal”, urging Venezuelans to join militias to defend the country. Leftist ally Colombian President Gustavo Petro dismissed the existence of the “Cartel of the Suns,” accusing the U.S. of using it as a pretext for regime change and claiming Washington seeks Venezuela’s oil. Petro has also strengthened the Colombian military presence along the Venezuelan border.

Oil remains a critical factor: Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and Trump previously eased sanctions by allowing Chevron to resume a pumping deal. U.S. policy is influenced by Senator Marco Rubio, a hardliner focused on curbing Maduro’s regime, which is perceived to be supported by Cuba and bolstered by Venezuelan oil exports.

U.S. strategy appears aimed at pressuring Maduro to leave office or face assassination by internal military actors seeking the bounty or normalisation with Washington. While Trump’s team speculates on potential drone strikes or targeted operations against Maduro, officials downplay the likelihood of direct assassination, citing lessons from previous failed regime-change attempts.

Observers note that U.S. actions could trigger wider regional instability, and internal administration debates remain over the risks of escalating the confrontation versus achieving strategic objectives.

By Tamilla Hasanova