NYT: Trump administration weighs three military options for Venezuela

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has developed at least three options for military action on Venezuelan territory, including a direct attack. 

The president’s aides are currently consulting with the Department of Justice to establish a legal basis for the planned operations, The New York Times (NYT) reports, citing sources.

One of the options under consideration involves the remote destruction of military facilities connected to the protection of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. That could force Maduro to attempt to flee, making him “more vulnerable to capture” while moving around the country. A second option envisages sending special forces to capture or kill Maduro. The third option includes deploying U.S. forces to seize control of airfields and parts of Venezuela’s oilfields.

The legal justification for carrying out these scenarios could be the assertion that “Maduro and his top security officials are central figures in the Cartel de los Soles, which the administration has designated as a narcoterrorist group.”

At the same time, the paper notes that President Trump has not yet decided “how or even whether to proceed.” The Times links a final decision to the arrival in the Caribbean in mid-November of the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, which is carrying roughly 5,000 sailors and more than 75 strike, reconnaissance and support aircraft, including F/A-18 fighters.

By Vugar Khalilov