In the same statement, Maduro reiterated that violence against him could mean war with the rest of South America. <\/p>\n

Similarly to Maduro’s remarks, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López warned “the imperialists of the north” at a press conference that the country is “getting ready” for war and “will fight if [American forces] dare set foot in Venezuela.”<\/p>\n

However, the Trump administration and U.S. military forces have not taken the threats seriously and have only escalated the intensity of their operations.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Trump announced the eradication of 11 Tren De Aragua Cartel members, who, along with millions of dollars in illicit drugs, were wiped out by a U.S. military strike.<\/p>\n

“Today the U.S. military conducted a lethal strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug vessel which had departed from Venezuela and was being operated by a designated narco-terrorist organization,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n

Later on Tuesday, Rubio<\/a> told reporters that the administration will “take on” drug cartels “wherever they’re operating against the interest of the United States,” even if that includes acting on Venezuelan soil. <\/p>\n

“The President’s top obligation is to secure the national interest and the national security of our people. I know of no president that means more than this one,” Rubio added.<\/p>\n

Rubio has not revealed any ongoing plans, but based on his remarks, further military operations against American enemies, of which Maduro is one, is not something Trump’s Cabinet will shy away from.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Department of State placed a $50 million<\/a> bounty over Maduro’s head in August, designating him as a narco-terrorist for his leadership in the Los Soles<\/a> drug cartel, an underground network accused of spearheading the international distribution of fentanyl laced drugs. <\/p>\n

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth<\/a>, another influential member of the Trump administration, stated<\/a> on Fox News on Wednesday that “the only one that should be worried is Nicolás Maduro.”<\/p>\n

According to Hegseth, Trump knows the “precise application of American power,” as he previously saw with the Houthis, Midnight Hammer in Iran, and the Southern Border. Hegseth said that if Maduro refuses to give himself up, “we are prepared with every asset that the American military has.” <\/p>\n

Maduro has taken America’s remarks and military presence in the region as a call to action. <\/p>\n

NICOLAS MADURO TO DEPLOY 4.5 MILLION MILITIA MEMBERS AFTER US RAISES BOUNTY FOR HIS ARREST<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Since the initial narco-terrorist designation of Maduro, Venezuela has declared a “republic in arms” and recruited over 4.5 million civilians into militias to fight the U.S.<\/p>\n

Simultaneously, Maduro’s government unsuccessfully rebuked the designation in an attempt to showcase that he is innocent of crimes against humanity. Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, characterized the accusations as baseless, insisting that the country’s only guilt is “advancing peace and sovereignty.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n